See You In September
by LilyBartAndTheOthers
Summary: The scenario was simple: Jane was supposed to drive Maura to the airport before going back to Boston. That was without counting on a ten-second move that may be about to change their life forever. Rizzles endgame. Daily updates.
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's note: brand new story - with daily updates - and, of course, reviews more than appreciated; I hope you will enjoy it._**

 **Chapter One**

Her heels resounded loud and authoritative. Determined. The pace of her steps barely let one catch a glimpse of the thin ankles that her Italian stilettos seemed to embrace with a delicate perfection. She was walking fast, too fast for people to even register her presence in the hall. They had better things to do, anyway.

She turned on her left and glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Jane was still following her in spite of her sudden acceleration.

"You don't have to accompany me to the terminal, you know."

Her sentence hit the air at the same pace as her steps. She was running late. They had got stuck in traffic on their way to Logan International and the boarding for her flight had already started. She couldn't lose any more time. Maura Isles had never missed any of her flights and she wouldn't let it happen today.

"Actually I have 'cause you've got the car keys with you!"

It took Maura a few seconds to register what her friend had just told her. By the time she looked down at her hand only to realize that she was indeed holding the aforesaid keys, she had finally reached her terminal. Yet she couldn't wait any longer.

Breathless, she turned around then held out the keys to Jane. Why she had taken them in the first place was a mystery to her but it wasn't the most appropriate moment to analyze such kind of detail.

"You think it's gonna be alright?"

Maura nodded and checked her boarding pass. Thanks to her professional status, she would have no issue whatsoever to board the plane at the last second. However, this wouldn't happen if she stayed by the terminal gate indefinitely.

"Oh, yes. Don't be worried. Thank you for the ride... You'll find a list of all the things I want you to do while I'm out of town. I left it on my desk. If you have any question then call me."

A couple of passengers in their seventies walked by Jane. She briefly cast a glance at them before focusing back on Maura.

A month. It was extremely ridiculous but she knew that she would miss her friend during this lapse of time. Maura had rarely left for so long until now. As a matter of fact and as far as Jane could remember, it was the very first time that a business trip would keep her away from Boston for more than two weeks.

Besides, she hated goodbyes.

"Alright. I think you should go, now..." Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, Jane plunged her hands in the pockets of her jeans and smiled at Maura rather timidly. "You know I'm not made for these moments so... Safe your journey."

It was 4.32pm – on a terribly hot Friday of July – when Jane bent over to take Maura in her arms for an unexpected hug in the middle of Logan International.

Neither of them happened to be very fond of such display of affection which emphasized the slightly out-of-character nuance of the move. The embrace lasted a few seconds only though and the surprising gesture could have come to an end there if Jane hadn't suddenly captured her friend's lips in a kiss afterwards.

A real kiss, deprived of any ambiguity. One that didn't leave much room to the imagination for whoever happened to witness it.

Jane's brain cells reacted rather quickly and set off a red alert in her head that immediately resulted in her letting go of Maura – making a step backwards – then succumbing to an intense panic. The kiss had come from nowhere and could absolutely not be justified.

On the verge of passing out, Jane opened her mouth to speak but found herself unable to pronounce the slightest thing. Time was running against her. Maura had to leave. She had to find something to say, anything.

They couldn't go separate ways like that, not after what she had done.

And this is how the lamest sentence in the whole history of human communication got pronounced. At 4.33pm on Friday, 31st of July by the gate of Terminal B at Logan International.

"See you in September...?"

...

She had run away. Literally. Shamefully. Perhaps Maura was still there – in shock by the gate of Terminal B – but that was something Jane ignored since she had turned on her heels just after her terribly inappropriate remark.

'Inappropriate' wasn't the right word, though. It didn't fit. Nope. What she had said was a lot worse than inappropriate. It didn't make sense at all. But then what had got in ahead of it didn't make sense either.

Jane crashed her forehead against Maura's fridge as a moan of distress passed her lips. Images of the kiss quietly kept on passing before her eyes like a movie in slow motion.

"What a fucking moron you are."

A moron who had lost the plot.

The worst of all was that she honestly had no idea why she had done that. She had no idea why she had even taken Maura in her arms in the first place. The rest – what had happened after the hug – belonged in a fourth dimension of some sort; one that would stick to her mind for the rest of the life. She was sure of that.

"You can go back to your place if you want. I'll feed Bass tonight, I've done that a couple of times in the past." Angela walked in the kitchen and went to sit on one of the stools by the large kitchen island. "Unless you're staying overnight. When do the works start at your place again?"

"Tomorrow morning..." Jane's whisper barely reached her mind. She barely heard herself speak. Yet she found the logic to turn around to look at her mother who was now sipping a glass of water. "I'm staying here tonight, they already have the key and all. I suppose I'll go check how it goes in the afternoon."

At first Maura's business trip had appeared to be a godsend for Jane. She wanted to change a few things at her place which would force her to go live somewhere else for a while. With Maura being away for a month, it meant that she had the Beacon Hill townhouse for herself. She would water the plants and feed Bass during her friend's absence and by September she would be back to her own apartment.

The perfect plan.

Yet now that she had thrown herself in one of the blurriest contexts, the notion of easiness had never sounded more foreign. She was in shock, extremely confused; certain to have destroyed something very precious.

Angela didn't insist nor did she feel the desire to go on with their conversation. It was a bit one-sided, anyway. Jane didn't seem to be in a chatty mood. She never was when Maura was away.

The matriarch stood up then left the house without adding anything. It took Jane a long minute to realize that her mother had walked out the kitchen. She checked her watch: 6.15pm.

She wasn't supposed to work until Monday but after the incomprehensible airport scene, she deeply regretted her absence of weekend shift. It would have kept her busy. Instead she was now trapped in a house which every single detail reminded her of Maura.

Ignoring Jo Friday who was happily jumping by her side, Jane absentmindedly walked to the stairs. She could take a bath. A long, relaxing bath. With candles - a bottle of wine – and some music.

Beers would have to wait as she hadn't stopped by to buy any on her way back from the airport.

Once on the first floor, she carefully avoided to look at Maura's bedroom and walked straight to the guestroom where she had previously left her bags. She didn't bother unpacking as it was something that would happen all by itself at some point. She simply took her tennis shoes off before heading towards the main bathroom.

Maura had left for a month but most of her belongings were still everywhere around: by the sink, in wicker baskets, on top of shelves. By the tub. An odd feeling seemed to emanate from the scene, one that wrapped up Jane in a surge of deep melancholy. She got undressed then slipped into her bath the moment she considered the tub to be enough filled.

She leaned her head backwards – closed her eyes – and took a deep breath.

The silence of the house resounded comfortingly. She had always loved her friend's place even if she had never explicitly admitted it. The frequency with which she found herself there probably spoke for her, anyway. She didn't spend much time at her own apartment. As a matter of fact, that was the reason why everyone had looked surprised when she had announced that she wanted to schedule paint work at her place. What for? She basically lived at Maura's in people's imagination.

She poured herself a glass of wine and let the velvet drink slide on her throat before warmly embracing her stomach.

Maura's flight to Oregon left her enough time to find a way to get herself out of the intricate situation she had fallen into. Unless there wouldn't be any phone call, any text message to let her know that her friend had made it safe to Newport. Perhaps Maura was in the same state of confusion and she wouldn't dare to reach her right away.

 _See you in September...?_

Jane clenched her teeth then plunged her head under the water to forget about the stupidity she had dared to show at the airport. She had a month to deal with it, a month to solve the issue. To draw a line under everything.

Then the situation would be back to normal.

Hopefully.

And the odd sensation that the kiss had stirred up in her body - in places she didn't even know could actually exist - would disappear. It had to, anyway. Nothing like that was meant to be.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's note: thank you very much for all the reviews and messages; don't be worried, there won't be much angst (and no big drama either).**_

 **Chapter Two**

Maura sat on her bed and let the tension of the travel vanish. She closed her eyes. The torrential rain was hitting hard against the window of her bedroom, the wind was blowing loudly. She had left a Bostonian heatwave for a gloomy Oregon. The contrast couldn't be any sharper yet it was exactly what she needed after what had happened at Logan International.

She had spent most of her flight trying to find an explanation to Jane's move. In vain. Nothing in the past few weeks could have led to this kiss, to the urge it had raised as her friend had unexpectedly captured her lips. As a matter of fact, their life had taken a very monotonous path lately and she had seen her business trip to Oregon as a great occasion to have a break from an eventless routine.

Now everything had been put back into perspective.

It had burnt in this indescribably way that always seemed to lead to a powerful sentiment of addiction. It had been a while since the last time someone had kissed her but as much as she had kept on saying that she didn't miss it, Jane's kiss had suddenly made her realize that the truth couldn't be any different.

She missed the tenderness that emanated from a relationship, the warmth of a human touch and all the things that it could elicite. But most of all, it had highlighted how lonely her life could be.

A quiet knock on the door made her jump. She stood up and walked towards it. William Montgomery – thirty-five years old, from San Diego – flashed her a bright smile. He was holding a bottle of wine.

"I know it's late but how about a little glass in the living-room? Emily's in charge of the fireplace. We should have heat in no time."

Maura cast a brief glance at the bottle before nodding appreciatively. She wasn't in the mood to socialize with people but since she would share the house with five other medical examiners for the next month she could hardly turn down the invitation. She didn't want to sound impolite. Her labyrinth of incomprehension would have to wait. Anyway she doubted that it would vanish within the next hour. No. Jane's kiss was engraved on her mind and still weighed on her lips.

The mere thought was enough for her to feel a strange sensation in her lower stomach.

"What an excellent idea. Let me just grab a shawl."

The house was located in the small town of Delpoe Bay which was a twenty-minute drive from Newport. It was the very first time that she wouldn't stay at a hotel while on a business trip. Having a kitchen at her disposal was a nice idea. She simply hoped that she would get along with her roommates. She hadn't had to share such a small place since college.

They crossed a corridor that was plunged in the dark. The wooden floor creaked under their feet and they could hear the ocean blow its strength outside. A storm was coming.

By night this place was quite intimidating, so far from the reassuring quietness of Beacon Hill.

"Maura Isles... Maura Dorthea Isles. I've read your latest article about the importance of autopsies in developing countries. It was excellent." Vera Watson – a blonde from Nevada – raised her glass of wine as Maura and William walked into the living-room. "I'm more than glad to have the chance to spend some time with you, here."

Maura's cheeks began to burn. She tried to hide the embarrassment stirred up by the unexpected compliment behind a curtain of blond curls and sat down on the couch where Matthew Barnes – a medical examiner from Michigan – was sitting. She then gladly accepted the glass that William held out to her and took a long sip of it before giving Vera a semblance of reply.

"How's the fire going, Emily?" Emma Carrington - from Vermont - approached the fireplace and bent over to check the logs.

Emily James was the youngest of the house. She was twenty-eight years old and seemed to have a brilliant future ahead of her. She was working for the chief medical examiner of New York City and had often been mentioned in several renown medical publications. Maura was quite looking forward to working with her. She was impressed by her capacities.

"Everything's under control, Emma. It's the first time I come to Oregon and nobody had told me it would be like standing under the Niagara Falls! What a downpour we're having."

The comparison with the infamous Canadian spot made everyone laugh and helped Maura to relax. Perhaps sharing a house with a few colleagues would actually turn out to be a good idea. It would be a lot less impersonal than the loneliness of a hotel room and the constant presence of people around her would keep her mind busy. This way she wouldn't lose herself in wonders and dealing with the aftermath of Jane's kiss would be easier.

 _The aftermath_.

Her choice of word slightly took her aback. Perhaps there didn't have to be any consequence to it. It was just a kiss. Nobody had died. It had even been quite pleasing. Why did she have to assume that it owned the shapes of a terrible cataclysm? It was a detail, one that could easily be seen as insignificant.

A cell phone vibrated on the small and worn out coffee table. William immediately grabbed it and went to lean against the kitchen counter that was only a couple of steps further.

Maura wrinkled her nose. She hadn't sent any text message to Jane. Not just yet. She usually did as soon as her plane landed on the tarmac but the current context was such that she needed some time to find the right words. It was a bit delicate. Was she supposed to pretend that nothing had happened? Jane would probably prefer this option.

"I'm sorry." William offered the group an apologetic smile. "I got married two months ago and it's my first business trip since the ceremony so my husband's freaking out a bit." He quickly typed a message then set down the electronic device on the counter. "You must know what I'm talking about, Maura."

Within a few seconds, five pairs of eyes were staring at a very confused and embarrassed Maura. Obviously everyone was waiting for her reply.

"I am not married. There must be a mistake." She shook her head a bit too vehemently. "I ahem... No, I am not."

William frowned – surprised by the answer – then dismissed his mistake with a nonchalance that made Maura green with envy. William was joyful and seemed to be going with the flow rather easily.

"Oh. My bad, Maura. Maybe you'll find the rare pearl in Oregon...! Unless you've found this person in Boston already, of course, and getting married is just not an option yet." William winked then burst out laughing.

...

3am. Maura had sent her a text message at 3am while she had safely landed at 9pm in Oregon which meant midnight in Massachusetts. And it wasn't a lie. Jane had actually checked online whether the plane her friend had taken had been delayed when she had been surprised to not get a text message.

Of course she knew why Maura had postponed it. She wasn't stupid. It was related to this incomprehensible – confusing – kiss. It had put Maura in a delicate situation, one that she hadn't asked for in the first place. Jane had all the reasons in the world to now feel guilty.

The night had been agitated, first because of the absence of message and then because she had lost herself in an endless series of scenarios about what Maura may have been doing during this three-hour gap.

Had she stayed in her bedroom staring at her cell phone as if it were some venomous object?

Unable to fall back asleep, Jane had got up around 5.30am. She had walked straight to the kitchen to prepare some coffee. The day would be long. Outside of stopping by her apartment, she had nothing to do. There was also a Skype session with Maura but something told her that her friend would try to avoid it at all cost which was understandable enough.

At 6.45am – bored to death – Jane went to grab her dog's leash. Walking Jo Friday was a good idea. It would get her mind busy. Besides it was still early and the temperatures were somewhat bearable. They were supposed to reach the 100°F in the afternoon.

"What an early bird you are, Jane!"

Mrs. Maklowski. Jane swallowed hard. She had barely made a couple of steps outside that Maura's gossipy neighbor already interrupted her for a pointless little chat.

"I have a busy day ahead of me."

A complete lie but then she could hardly imagine herself spilling the beans to some bored lady who seemed to have a penchant for spreading gossip in the neighborhood. A urging kiss in the middle of Logan International would have made Mrs. Maklowski's year though, Jane was sure of it.

"You're so nice to take care of your girl friend's house while she's out of town. Maura's a precious girl but I'm sure you know that already, don't you? What a lovely relation the two of you have. It's so nice..."

Jane froze and swallowed back a moan of despair. _Girl friend_. That was not the kind of word she had hoped to hear right now, not after what had happened. She nervously tightened her grip on the leash and desperately looked around for an escape. Was she getting paranoid or Mrs Maklowski's remark regarding the friendship she had with Maura was slightly ambiguous?

Within five minutes and after another shamefull lie, Jane resumed her walking. She had nowhere to go but didn't want to head back home already. The house reminded her too much of Maura for the moment.

She let Jo Friday guide her through Beacon Hill absentmindedly until she found herself in front of a small cafe where a lovely sign on the door said that dogs were allowed. It didn't take her long to push the door and walk in.

When in doubt, caffeine was always welcome.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note: Thank you very much for all the reviews, they're very much appreciated.**_

 **Chapter Three**

After making sure that she was comfortably sitting on the floor by the fireplace, Maura took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Only for a few seconds, a tiny lapse of meditation time. It should result to be enough for her to calm down her heartbeats. Then everything would be alright.

Hopefully.

With a shaking hand she finally clicked on the green button and nervously waited for Jane to take the call. She hadn't slept well. Her new environment had only managed to add stress to a situation that drove her crazy in the first place. Yet among this emotional mess, a bittersweet reality kept on shining brightly: she needed to talk to Jane, she needed to see her. To hear her voice, her laugh. No matter what had happened.

Something was missing when Jane wasn't around, something that put back in question the precarious balance of her very own existence.

A sentiment of relief had embraced her frame the moment her friend had positively replied to the resquet via a text message. It was what they had planned on doing anyway: a call per day. The time difference woud be challenging to handle but it wasn't the first time that they would respectively have to face such kind of issue. They could overcome it. They could overcome absolutely anything.

"Good mornin', Oregon." Jane flashed a smile but immediately squinted her eyes at the screen. She leaned over her computer. "A fireplace? In August?"

Jane's casualness warmed up Maura's heart. She relaxed right away even if a little voice in her head kept on telling her that they couldn't pretend that nothing had happened. They would have to talk about it at some point, even if through half-words only.

"It's 39°F outside and probably 42°F inside the house. I can't believe I'm about to say this but I'm actually deeply missing the heatwave that Boston is having right now."

"Oh... Wow." Jane laughed nervously. She cast a brief glance at something on her left – something Maura couldn't see from where she was – then waved a large cup at her friend. "Second frappe of the day. I'd die without it. Looks like you can draw a line under any cold drink and go for a hot chocolate instead. So how's Oregon?"

A thin layer of disappointment spread over Maura's heart. It was very ridiculous but she had hoped that they would allude to their kiss. Instead they were casually talking as if life was going on. It should have made her happy - after all, Jane spared her a delicate moment of incomprehensible feelings - but against all expectations, it left a bitter taste in her mouth and she didn't like it.

"Apart from being cold? I don't really know. It's 9am and I haven't left the house yet. As a matter of fact, I guess a few of my colleagues are still sleeping. Others went for a jog. We aren't supposed to meet Daniela Caruso before the end of the afternoon so we still we quite a lot of time ahead of us."

The medical examiner of Newport had insisted on everyone to arrive on Friday even if the internship would not start before Monday. She had assumed that forty-eight hours would be more than welcome to discover the area a bit.

Sadly it was without counting on the awful weather that had chances to compromise such a sweet idea.

"Wait. Maura Isles didn't go running? Really? She decided to stay inside instead and enjoy a cup of coffee by the fireplace?"

Maura unfolded her legs. She held back a yawn then turned the laptop around so Jane could see the weather outside the window. It was still pouring, the wind blowing hard as ever. The sky was so gray that she could hardly tell where the sun was supposed to be.

She had turned the lights on in the living-room to avoid sitting in the darkness while the rest of the house seemed to be succumbing to a symphony of odd noises.

It was a bit gloomy.

"Oh, I see." Jane took a sip of her frappe – a long one – as if she were trying to win some time before offering her friend a more or less decent reply. "Now I get why you didn't bother buying sunscreen."

Maura didn't miss the slight discomfort that kept on punctuating their conversation but everything came to an end rather abruptly the moment the main door of the house got opened and William – Matthew – and Emily stormed in.

The temperature of the living-room dropped within a second as a gust of wind followed the small group inside.

Maura curled up against herself in a protective gesture and politely smiled at her colleagues and now roommates. The WIFI didn't seem to be working in her bedroom. It wasn't very surprising though. The weather was too bad and the house too old for her to have at her service an impeccable Internet connection.

"Ahem... Is everything okay at home?"

Jane barely heard the whispered question. It was a purely rhetorical one anyway. Maura assumed that nothing serious had happened or else she would have already known about it one way or another. She cast a brief glance at Emily and Matthew who quietly waved at her before heading towards their respective bedrooms for a well-deserved shower. Only William decided to stay in the living-room. He went straight to the kitchen counter to prepare some coffee.

If Maura had wanted to have a minimum of intimacy to talk to Jane, something told her that it wouldn't happen now.

"Yeah. Bass ate all his leaves last night. He's doing great so far."

The rest of the brief conversation died in a semblance of dialogue. From one neutral topic to another, Maura soon found herself putting an end to the virtual call. The screen turned blank.

She paused.

Perhaps it was better like that. She had come up with a thousand scenarios in her head but none of them had turned out to be the path she and Jane had just taken. The easiness with which they had talked was confusing because the weight of the kiss they had shared at the airport was still there, its shadow floating loudly over their heads.

It was too early. They may need some extra time to process the whole thing. But at least they had talked. At least Maura had been comforted by Jane's voice, her smile. The way her dark eyes glimmered whenever something caught her attention. Her presence, even if virtually.

Yet it couldn't stay that way forever. They couldn't stay trapped between the weight of silence and a confusing casualness that seemed to fight its way back into their existences.

As a sentiment of dissatisfaction wrapped her up, Maura grabbed her cell phone. She typed a text message and sent it to Jane. Words she hadn't dared to say out loud because she wasn't alone in the room, because of what had happened at Logan International.

 _Take care of you, Jane._

 _I miss you._

"So I was right about the rare pearl, wasn't I?"

William's question made Maura jump. She had locked herself in a bubble of thoughts the moment her Skype session had ended. How long had she been staring at the screen of her phone? It was slightly embarrassing.

"What do you mean?"

William held out a cup of coffee to her before going to sit on the couch only a couple of feet away from the fireplace where she was still sitting.

"I didn't mean to ovearhear your conversation but obviously your rare pearl is Bostonian. You're just not married yet."

Maura had never wished so much to be swallowed by the ground right now. Her cheeks began to burn to the point it made her vision blurry. It wasn't the first time that someone came to such conclusion regarding her and Jane but the nuance was a lot more delicate now that they had shared this incomprehensible kiss.

"Oh no! Jane is just a friend of mine... My best friend, actually."

Her casual tone of voice seemed sincere and for a couple of seconds Maura got satisfied of it. She simply hadn't thought about a detail that William hadn't missed.

"She's living with you, at your place? You asked her if everything was okay at home." A sweet flicker made his green eyes shine mischieviously. It only lasted a tiny second but still resulted enough to ease the slight tension of the living-room. "And I don't even mention the way you were looking at your screen."

Maura shrugged. It was very strange but she didn't find William intrusive at all. There was something in his attitude that she liked a lot. An ounce of respect mixed to a pure honesty. He was just a talkative man, a very joyful one.

She appreciated his presence in this house, especially on such a gloomy day. He was a ray of sunshine.

"It's a long story but Jane – who also happens to be one of the homicide detectives I work with – is staying at my place because her apartment is going under work. So while she's at home, she takes care of... She takes care of everything."

 _As a friend would do_. Maura felt the urge to add this latest comment but decided to keep it for herself instead. She was afraid that it would sound forced. Besides, she wasn't sure that many friends decided to spend a whole month at another friend's place to feed their pets and water their plants; or at least not the way Jane did.

"Ah... Detective Rizzoli! I read about her in newspapers. Actually, that's even the reason why I assumed last night that you were married. When I got the names of the medical examiners who would take place in this internship, I checked each one of them on the web. Out of curiosity. To have a general idea of whom I'll be seeing here, you know. And by the way some journalists described the relation you and Jane have, I assumed you were more than just colleagues or even just friends. They were talking about a symbiotic relation, a duo. A couple. Is that an exaggeration?"

The fairness of the question echoed Maura's current confusing state of mind. Two days earlier, she would have had no issue whatsoever to reply to William. But now she was lost in an ocean of wonders and she didn't know anymore.

"The relation I have with Jane is..." Maura paused and let her brain choose the word that would seem to be the most appropriate. "It's delicate."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's note: Thank you very much for all the reviews.**_

 **Chapter Four**

 _Game over_. The fatal two words appeared on the screen of Jane's computer way too soon for her taste. She pouted. Breaking a personal record at this game wouldn't happen today. The mediocre score wasn't very surprising though. She couldn't focus on anything but the clock on the right bottom of the computer. Within five minutes now, Maura would start her internship. It was like a first day at school, only with more dead bodies.

Jane chuckled at the thought.

She had shared two Skype sessions with Maura and had probably sent her a dozen of messages over the weekend. And every single time a natural casualness had won over her desire to allude to the kiss they had shared.

The truth was that Jane didn't know how to bring it up. It required a lot of tact which was exactly what she lacked of. Besides, Maura was never alone at home. It made it even harder to have a semblance of a personal conversation.

Then there was the content of the aforesaid conversation. Jane still had absolutely no idea why she had kissed her at the airport. She could barely remember the scene, as if her brain had decided to draw a line under it.

She had hugged Maura but the moment she had moved again to take her distance with her friend – this tiny second when both cheeks brush each other – she had aimed at her lips instead of making a step backwards.

A full kiss. Absolutely not shy. One Maura had responded to. It was a detail but it did have its importance for Jane. The reminiscence of the incomprehensible moment stirred up a blurry sensation in her lower stomach. She immediately closed her eyes to ignore it better. The trick didn't work at all but still comforted her slightly.

"Jane Rizzoli? Is Jane Rizzoli here?"

Jane opened her right eye and frowned. She didn't recognize this feminine voice. Yet aware that she was at work playing some game on her computer, she immediately pressed the "escape" touch and turned around to face her interlocutor. A woman in her forties was standing by Korsak's desk; Korsak who had just taken his lunch break with Frost.

Jane was alone for the moment.

"Yeah...?" She stood up but kept her distance with the stranger nonetheless. She had no idea who the woman was and years of experience had taught her to always be careful when strangers showed up at work. "May I help you?"

Her brain immediately started elaborating a thousand scenarios. None of them were linked to a case though as she wasn't working on any right now. It was a quiet day, perfect for some paperwork. She was supposed to go to a trial on Wednesday and was hoping to have a couple of drinks at the _Dirty Robber_ on Friday evening. Her schedule was light, to say the least. Nothing thrilling, just a plain routine; boring even.

"Oh, nice to meet you. My name is Liv Mayer, I'm the new psychologist."

Jane's smile froze. She should have known that it would be a trap. Now the woman would probably suggest her to make an appointment to speak about her so-called traumas and how hard the cop way of life was.

A waste of time.

"I'm busy." Was that too direct? Too much on the defensive? Jane raised a hand to apologize. "I'm fine, actually." That was one tactless way to dismiss the specialist.

From a physical point of view, her statement was true. She wasn't injured and exercized as soon as she had a chance to. Thus it wasn't a lie per se. The emotional point of view offered a very different version to her current state though.

She was confused – stressed – and slightly scared of what was happening to her relation to Maura but this wasn't something she was about to share with someone she didn't know. The BPD hired psychologists to treat potential traumas, not to solve Barbara Cartland plots.

"I just wanted to see you to make sure that you'll come to your appointment at 3pm. Lieutenant Cavanaugh told me you were available."

"I didn't ask for any appointment. I'm fine. Like... Really. I'm okay. You're gonna lose your time with me. Let's just skip it. I..." Jane turned around but repressed the desire to motion her desk as there was not a single file opened on it that would justify a very busy schedule. "You got the wrong person. Really."

"Then it's okay, you'll just talk to me about the BPD and what I need to know. You've been working for the department for a while from what I was told. You must know this place like no one else."

"Sure..."

Jane didn't hide her lack of enthusiasm. Anyway with a little bit of luck, she would be called on a crime scene before 3pm. Suspicious deaths weren't that rare in Boston. She politely nodded at Liv Mayer and waited for the woman to turn on her heels and leave to sit back at her desk.

She cast a glance anew at the computer clock. Shit. She had missed the start of Maura's internship. Now she would have to wait for the coffee break to send her a text message to know how everything was going.

...

It had rained all along the weekend but on Saturday Maura had nonetheless decided to go out for a walk after lunch. She hated staying trapped inside when visiting some place.

Depoe Bay was a very small town, the best spot in Oregon to watch whales in the distance according to an old sign that seemed to have survived many storms but was now about to fall down right at the entrance of a diner.

The house she was staying at was facing the impressive cliffs of the town but she still had to see anything but waves in the ocean. Perhaps the weather was too bad for whales to show.

She had taken pictures. For Jane, mostly. Of the town, the house. On Sunday all the other medical examiners had had a chance to say a little hello to Jane as Maura had had no choice but to Skype her in the living-room again. The moment – even if extremely brief – had resulted enough for Maura to find it slightly embarrassing.

William's words had had time to sink in her head, her reply as well. One could hide so many things behind the adjective "delicate" yet it was exactly how she could define the relation she had with Jane.

Delicate. Confusing. Blurry. Powerful.

Nobody had made any remark but Maura wasn't stupid. She knew that her roommates had noticed the frequency of her Skype sessions, the amount of text messages she sent. She hated admitting it but all of this was really telling.

Way too much, actually.

On Sunday evening, she had tried to write an email to Jane but the words had refused to come up. After long seconds facing a blank screen, she had renounced to it. Frustrated at her best.

"Your heart is in poor shape. Nobody took care of it."

Emily's comment caused Maura to frown. For long seconds she assumed that the young woman was alluding to her heart – to her own heart – until she realized that there was nothing personal in the remark.

The medical examiner from New York was only talking about the specimen Maura was supposed to check on her microscope.

The confusion made Maura smile ironically. Perhaps her very own heart was in poor shape as well. Perhaps she needed someone to take care of it. Someone like Jane.

"Is yours any better?"

Emily wrinkled her nose and shrugged. Maura had learned on Sunday that the young woman was the mother of five-year-old twins. It had extremely surprised her. Not many medical examiners – female medical examiners – decided to have children before their mid-thirties.

Yet Emily had and it hadn't prevented her from having a rather successful career. It was impressive.

Maura had really enjoyed spending Sunday at home with everyone. They were learning about each other little by little and a great atmosphere seemed to already be reigning over the house. She hoped that – by the end of their internship – they would all be more than mere colleagues. She could sense it. A special bond was already showing.

One never had too many friends in the profession.

They had played Monopoly and had spent a large part of the afternoon talking by the fireplace while sipping on hot chocolate. It hadn't prevented her from thinking about Jane but she couldn't care less. She had felt fine. For the very first time since the kiss they had shared at Logan International, Maura had felt fine and relaxed.

Her cell phone vibrated in the pocket of her white coat. She straightened up on her stool – rubbed her neck – then grabbed the device.

"You seem to be very close to her..."

Emily's remark was completely deprived of innuendo. She had said that with a bare honesty as a graceful smile had curled up her lips.

"We went through a lot together. We..." Maura shrugged, suddenly unable to add the mere word. She couldn't describe what she and Jane had. Nobody would ever be able to understand. It went beyond many things; so many things. "We complete each other."

"Is she married?"

Maura opened the text message Jane had sent her. She wished her good luck for her "first day at school". It made her smile.

"She called off her engagement once. She's single now."

Still leaned over her microscope, Emily turned her head to look at Maura. She remained quiet for long seconds – as if she were trying to read through her interlocutor – then finally squinted her eyes and let a smile of victory play on her lips.

"You are... Like... Friends with benefits?'

The door of the lab got opened. Daniela Caruso walked in, putting an abrupt end to the conversation. Maura welcomed the medical examiner of Newport with an obvious relief.

Yet to make things clear, she looked at Emily and shook her head vehemently.

"No. I'm afraid we aren't."

 _I'm afraid_. Really? It was official, this time: Maura was more than ready to die at the scene.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's note: Thank you very much for all the reviews and messages.**_

 **Chapter Five**

The sigh escaped her lips the moment she felt Jane's mouth against her shivering skin; against her neck. She plunged a hand in her dark curls to drag her closer to her body then passed a leg around her waist then arched her back in the process. It was hot and extremely quiet. The silence of the night loudly echoed her sighs, her moans.

Her fingertips went down Jane's back until they hit her bra. She unhooked it with an expert hand before rolling on her side to pass on top of her partner.

She captured Jane's lips immediately, full of an eagerness that she could barely control. Her hand slid down between her partner's breasts – caressed her stomach – before coming to die in the depth of her waist.

The touches weren't arousing but literally burning. Molded against each other, their bodies seemed to be on the verge of a tantalizing fusion of some sort. The more Maura deepened their kiss, the more she wanted nothing but to pass underneath Jane's skin. Then she would stay there forever.

In peace.

Her fingers resumed their intimate exploration. They reluctantly left Jane's waist to travel down her hip before finding a brand new interest in the moist skin of her inner thighs. The contact made Jane shiver. Maura smiled of delight, in her partner's mouth. The sweetness of their foreplay would soon melt into the intensity of more obvious caresses. Moans would replace their sighs and it wouldn't take them long to reach the paroxysm of their feelings, carrying their hearbeats through a dizzy waltz that would brush their limits.

In a very last feather touch, Maura brought her hand between Jane's legs and bit her partner's mouth to hold back her sigh better; the one elicited by the well-needed contact against the aroused flesh.

Everything turned blank.

Maura opened her eyes and stared at the wall in front of her for long - endless - seconds. The dream started fading away but the sensations it had stirred up were still there nonetheless, oppressive. Vivid at their best. She swallowed hard in the darkness of her bedroom then rolled on her back.

She was alone. The wind was blowing hard outside. She couldn't hear the rain but she was still certain that it hadn't stopped.

Jane.

Torn between a thousand feelings, Maura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let her hand pass under the blanket, slide along her body until it reached between her legs. Her dreams had left her on the edge.

Her index finger barely had time to brush her aroused flesh that she immediately took off her hand. She couldn't do that. Not while thinking about Jane. The situation was too complicated for her to add the silent guilt that the move she was about to succumb to may add to the whole thing.

She turned the light on and sat up in bed. It was barely 5am. Way too early to go for a run – especially in the rain – yet too late to try to resume her sleeping. Besides, she was now fully awake.

Out of an odd despair – almost in vain – she grabbed her laptop on the bedside table and turned it on. She opened a new Word document then stared at the screen in silence until her fingers started an uncertain ballet on the keyboard.

 _Dear Jane..._

...

She had been waiting for this moment all day long. The lack of event at work hadn't helped her to focus on something else. Liv Mayer had stopped by to say hello and asked her if she wanted to go have lunch but Jane had already eaten by then.

They had settled on sharing a lunch on the very next day. Jane had chosen the restaurant. The life at the BPD was still awfully quiet so she could afford - for once - take a full hour - to have lunch with a colleague.

Perhaps she had really misjudged the psychologist. Her so-called appointment two days earlier had turned out to be a casual chat about the BPD. Liv hadn't tried to make her speak about anything personal. Jane had relaxed and she could now say that she actually enjoyed the woman's presence at work. There was nothing to fear.

Cuddled on the couch – a bottle of beer in hand – she pressed the green button to call Maura.

Maura had left six days earlier. Already. Almost a week. The kiss was still extremely vivid in Jane's head though. It hadn't faded away at all and was still bothering her but she was simply glad to see that it hadn't ruined anything.

The relationship she had with Maura hadn't exploded in a thousand pieces. Limits had just turned a bit blurry. Jane hoped it was only a matter of time before everything to go back to normal.

"Hi... You're in bed?"

Jane squinted her eyes at the screen. She didn't recognize the living-room of the Depoe Bay tiny house. The wall behind Maura wasn't the same and she could see large pillows on her friend's left side.

"Yes. I have finally bought a 3G USB key." Maura moved the computer around at a slow pace. "Welcome to my room..."

Jane gave her an appreciative nod. Their daily Skype sessions had turned into a ritual that she wouldn't miss for anything in the world.

As much as they sent text messages to each other, seeing Maura carried an extra force that made her evenings sweeter. It helped her overcome the distance and the bitterness loneliness her friend's absence highlighted.

"How's everyone doing?"

She had got used to the life of the house, how every single medical examiner seemed to have found their place rather naturally. She used to let Maura tell her who had done what and it carried her so lightly that when she put an end to the call several minutes later, a sentiment of emptiness always invaded her somehow. Then she felt lonely; lonely and lost.

"It's pizza night. The guys went to buy them. They lost a bet earlier during the day at the morgue so now they have to go out in the rain to bring back dinner. Vera has bought a ukulele. She's currently playing in the living-room. Can you hear her?"

Maura turned quiet and let Jane listen to the soft notes that easily passed through the thin door of her bedroom.

"A ukulele? What's next? A bonfire on the beach?"

The remark made Maura burst out laughing. She cuddled better in bed and shrugged at Jane. She hadn't dared to send her the letter she had written at 5am. It was ready and saved up on her computer but she hadn't found the courage to copy and paste it in an email.

It was too personal, too direct. If Jane happened to read it then she – Maura – was sure that she would lose her friend. Jane was too fragile for what-ifs and maybe's. She wouldn't be able to handle it. Not just yet.

"What have you done, today? Is it still too calm at the BPD? I can't believe the crime rate has decided to drop during my absence. You'll see it is just now waiting for my return to reach a new high peak."

Jane took a sip of her beer then cast a brief glance at Bass. The tortoise was literally staring at her with his blank eyes. It really made her uncomfortable. She would never admit it to anyone but she was certain that he could understand her words, even read through her attitude. Sharing the life of a tortoise was one strange experience.

"Yeah nothing special. We went for a couple of drinks after work. Liv joined us. She can play darts like nobody else! You'd have seen the guys' face when she beat 'em all."

Something set off in Maura's head, some sort of a quiet alarm. She sat up and frowned at Jane.

"Liv? Who is she?"

Her tone of voice turned out to be sharper than what she had hoped for. Too coward to apologize, Maura simply looked down at the keyboard and felt how her cheeks started burning. She was obviously blushing. Heavily.

"Oh... Nobody, just the new psychologist I told you about the other day. She's kinda nice actually. I mean she hasn't tried to go all doc' on me." Maura's absence of reaction made Jane smirk. The way her friend had pursed her lips didn't leave much room to the imagination. "You're jealous?"

Maura scoffed but didn't say a thing. She could hardly lie without breaking into hives and she perfectly knew that Jane was right. It was stupid but she didn't have a hold over her emotional reactions. And right now, she didn't like the way she was missing out some things.

"You don't have to feel guilty... Please, don't."

 _Because I liked it. I liked the kiss._ Maura held her breath. The words had slid on her lips before she had even had a chance to realize what was happening.

Jane didn't ask for any further explanation. What for? She had perfectly understood what her friend was alluding to. It may have come out of the blue, she had expected it to happen one way or another at any moment. She sighed.

"I'm sorry."

A loud knock made Maura start. Matthew Barnes – her colleague from Michigan – poked his head inside and winked.

"Sorry to interrupt but dinner's ready. If you don't want to eat cold pizza... It's now or never, Maura."

Maura nodded at him before smiling apologetically at Jane. An impressive dose of courage – unless it was mere craziness – ran through her veins and pushed her to approach a finger from her laptop screen. She followed the shape of Jane's face. Slowly.

"Don't be sorry. Please... Don't be."

The Skype session came to an end a mere minute later. Maura stood up and slowly walked to the living-room. The shy conversation she had just had with Jane had left an odd feeling on her soul, a bittersweet one. They weren't done with what had happened and the sure thing was that she didn't want to wait another week to mention it again.

She couldn't. She didn't have the strength to remain quiet.

She gladly accepted the glass of red wine that Emma was holding out to her and took a long sip of it. The alcohol warmed up her throat almost lovingly.

She needed to send Jane the long message she had written in the morning. And who cared if it were too direct? At least she was being honest. Jane needed to read it, one way or another.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews; I'm sure Jane will visit Maura very soon (sorry for the guest who didn't like the previous chapter; I don't see Jane already having replaced Maura since the highlight of her day is her Skype sessions with her and that she feels awfully lonely when Maura isn't around).**_

 **Chapter Six**

"He is divorced but still in this transitional phase. He doesn't dare. He only checks out. Give him a month and he'll be a brand new man."

Jane looked at Liv Mayer with perplexity then burst out laughing. She hadn't expected their lunch to turn into such a game. As a matter of fact, she didn't know how it had happened. All of a sudden, they had found themselves observing the customers in the restaurant and the psychologist had tried to read through them.

It was just a harmless game.

"What about me? What can you say when you look at me?"

Jane's question took them both aback. Her hoarse tone of voice had melted in an ounce of challenge, an incredibly fragile one nonetheless. Liv smiled but didn't reply. She looked down at her plate instead and proceeded to fold her napkin. The timid reaction surprised Jane.

"Am I unreadable?"

The question made Liv laugh quietly. The pace of their lunch had brutally changed, without any warning. She would need time to get used to it, to find the proper words that would highlight her sincerity.

"Nobody is, Jane. I simply didn't know that you wanted me to tell you anything regarding yourself. As a matter of fact, I even thought that you didn't want us to talk about you. You made it quite clear the day we met."

Fair point. More than fair, actually. Guilt wrapped up Jane. She bit her lips – in regret – before focusing on whatever was going on in the street; there, on the other side of the window. She sighed.

The days went by and terribly looked like each other. Nothing new was happening. Everyone seemed to be trapped into an awful torpor; a gray, boring one.

And lost among the static crowd, Jane thought about nobody but Maura.

She missed her. The conclusion was bare, simple. She had awoken in the morning thinking about nothing but the way her friend would have smiled at her; the way she would have laughed - lightly as Jane's clumsiness in the morning.

Their Skype sessions weren't enough anymore. They didn't bring enough satisfaction, any relief. Jane needed more, a lot more actually. Why? She had absolutely no idea. Nothing had happened, nothing special at all. They had talked the day before then one of Maura's roommates had told her that dinner was ready.

End of their conversation.

It had just been another Skype session. A harmless one. But the moment Jane had found herself facing the blank screen of her laptop, she had come to the conclusion that her life was a complete mess; that it had stopped making sense.

She had cried. In silence. The state of confusion she was in was tough to handle. The kiss had stirred up way too many feelings, way too many insecurities. She couldn't keep on pretending that it didn't touch her. The whole thing was a lie, a ridiculous one.

"Then tell me. Tell me what you see."

She didn't want to hear anything. She didn't want someone to force her to face a truth that she did her best to ignore. She wasn't ready for it. Not just yet. Never.

Yet her words had preceeded her thoughts, her inner desires.

"I see someone who's fragile, too fragile to dare to face a couple of things." Liv shrugged, apologetically. She didn't like the turn their lunch was taking. It was way too personal. "I think you're very sensitive; a lot more than what people may think."

Touché.

Jane slowly nodded. She couldn't complain about the psychologist's honest answer since she had asked for it in the first place. She needed to assume everything, no matter what. Even if it hurt. And it did.

"Do you think a single move – even, like, the tiniest one – can still have the biggest consequence ever on two people's relationship? On the... Connection they share?"

She couldn't even blame alcohol as she hadn't drunk anything but water. The words simply followed a smooth path and slid on her lips with a confusing easiness. It brought an odd relief to her soul.

"Maybe... Probably even. Life is fragile. A mere second can make it tip over." Liv Mayer cast a glance at her surrounding as if to make sure that nobody would overhear her then she leaned over the table and frowned at Jane. "Are you alright? You look pale."

Ironical question. Jane snorted and preferred to drown her uncertainty into her glass of water. She didn't know anything anymore.

Nothing had got broken per se but something had nonetheless ceased to work, something that caused her to put back into question every single aspect of her life. The work of introspection was a blurry one. She hadn't found any answer yet.

"I think I miss her."

She had faced Frost – her brother, Korsak – and her mother more times than she could remember but at no moment had she managed to put words on her current feelings. Then suddenly she did, in the middle of a lunch she shared with a perfect stranger. She barely knew Liv Mayer. They had spent two hours together until now. It was nothing, nothing at all.

Especially for someone like Jane who didn't easily trust people.

"Then you should tell her." Liv's ' _her_ ' sounded strange. After all, she had no idea whatsoever whom she was talking about. But the truth was that it didn't matter. She had understood the main lines, how something bothered Jane. "There are some things – some feelings – we should never keep inside. They are made to see the light."

Easier said than done.

Jane nodded but didn't reply. She wouldn't have been able to anyway. A lump had formed in her throat, the same that had caused tears to run down her cheeks the evening before. Why did she have to feel so lost? So lonely? It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair at all.

Maura had already left in the past. It wasn't the first time that she had to go on a business trip for a while. So why? Why did Jane react to it differently this time?

"It's not the same when she's not around."

Her whisper found a delicate strength in her hoarse voice. Her smile never really reached her eyes. She looked up at Liv but found herself unable to understand why she suddenly dared to say all these things to someone.

...

"You know, people often say that the weather in Massachusetts is tough but after a week spent in Oregon... I think my state is sweet; easy to handle."

Breathless, Maura stopped on the beach and took a deep breath. The sea breeze was strong, invigorating at its best. The rain as well. William had convinced her to go for a morning jog as they had come across each other in the kitchen. Going out in the morning brought peace to her tormented mind.

"It's barely raining today though. Do you think we'll see a bit sunshine at some point?"

Maura stretched her arms and pouted. It was still early and the beach was empty. It was a strange scene to witness. After all they were in August, not in December. The place should have been packed with tourists. The waves were too big in Depoe Bay, the cliffs too sharp. The landscape was abrupt, almost unfriendly.

It wasn't the typical seaside resort.

"You haven't called your husband, yesterday. Is everything alright?"

The boldness of her question made her blush. Who was she to make such comment? As much as she appreciated William's presence in her life, she barely knew him. She shouldn't have dared to cross limits imposed by an implicit politeness.

"We don't have to call each other every day. This phase is long gone now. We've been together for way too many years. We're an old couple."

Williams sat down on the wet sand. Obviously they wouldn't go any further today. Their day at the morgue wouldn't start before 11am which left them a lot of free time. Maura sat down next to him and focused on the ocean. Its power was intimidating, almost too violent to be fully appreciated. The Pacific had very little to do with the Atlantic. She was fully realizing it now.

"Depoe Bay is such a curious place. Time seems to have got suspended here. That's what I always tell Jane when she asks me how it is." Maura looked down and grabbed a small shellfish. "Against all expectations, I like it here. I think it came into my life at the right time. I needed a break from many different things."

She hadn't planned on saying any of this to anyone because she was too afraid of the guilt that it would stir up.

She had a nice life in Boston after all – the best one she could have ever hoped for – but something had been missing as of lately; something she didn't dare to chase. Oregon seemed to offer brand new perspectives.

It wasn't even about Jane's kiss. Not only. As a matter of fact, what had happened at Logan International was the logical consequence of something she hadn't wanted to see. Being trapped in Depoe Bay – so far from Jane – had forced her to focus on it; to dare to face whatever it could be. The heart of an issue she had tried to ignore.

"When did you realize that he was the one? When did you realize that your husband was the right one?"

William didn't mock her. He didn't make the slightest allusion. He remained focused on the ocean instead until a flicker lit up his eyes and melted into a delicate smile.

"The day we met for the first time. It was an evidence. Everything suddenly looked brighter. Everything made sense... Within a second."

He didn't need to add anything, even less the rhetorical question that would push Maura to say whether she understood what he meant. Because it was obvious. Because they both knew the truth.

Of course she did.

"I envy you."

The sweetness of her voice got carried away by the wind. It died in the quiet echo of her smile as she turned her head around to look at William and thought about the oddness of life; how surprising it was. Who would have guessed that – one day – she would find herself on a beach opening up about her feelings to someone she had met a week earlier?

"Don't envy me, Maura. Just embrace the whole damn thing and start living. You're ready for it now. You're more than ready."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's note: Thank you very much for all the reviews and messages, they are really appreciated.**_

 **Chapter Seven**

 _Dear Jane,_

 _The truth is that I don't know where to start, even less how. The only certainty I have is that I need to talk to you, one way or another, because it is weighing on me too much. I hope that you won't take it badly, I hope that it won't scare you either. I am already afraid myself of the possibe consequences this letter may have on the two of us._

 _I am not sure to understand what happened, why you suddenly kissed me while I was about to leave. Perhaps I should have seen it come, perhaps it made sense but I was way too blind myself to accept the truth that seemed to rise from your unexpected move._

 _It stirred up a thousand maybe's, endless what-ifs. But I want you to know that I don't necessarily regret it._

 _I know that you must feel guilty and probably a tad stupid but you shouldn't. You made me feel alive. For a tiny second, you made me feel alive and wanted. This was something that hadn't happened in a long while. As a matter of fact, I had even drawn a line under the hope to feel this way ever again. I had simply come to the conclusion that I wasn't made for it; that I was too singular to stir up interest in someone. In anyone, actually._

 _It probably won't happen ever again and if I have to be honest with you then I need to say that I will deeply miss the warmth you brought to me through it. Do you see it as a mistake? It may be one but it is beautiful as well. Accidents don't necessarily have to be tragic. You brought me peace, the burning desire to be loved again. I cannot believe that I am allowing myself to say this. The current distance between you and I has turned into a wonderful ally for the coward person I am. Let's face it. The words come up so easily when I don't have to look at you. They still storm in my brain but at least they finally dare to pass the invisible barrier of abstraction._

 _It wouldn't be the same if I were in Boston._

 _There are a thousand things that I want to tell you, that I want to share with you. Oddly, I think that they are all connected to this kiss – 'our' kiss if I dare to qualify it – we happened to share at the airport. Should I speak about a wakeup call? Maybe. Probably. The only issue is that I have no idea where it is supposed to lead me to. I feel lost, and confused. Not lonely though. I am surrounded by wonderful people, here. And there are our Skype sessions, all these text messages we send each other._

 _You have never been so close to me._

 _I think about you all the time and I absolutely don't know why. I just know that it is there, within myself, and that I can't ignore it. It doesn't make sense, does it? It isn't the first time that I am away from you for a while, it isn't the first time that I can't share my morning coffee with you. So why? Why is it suddenly so different? What has happened that it causes a part of me to focus on nothing but you?_

 _I wonder if you feel the same. As a matter of fact, I hope you do. I know it is very selfish of me but I can't help it. How disappointed would I be if I happened to know that you aren't going through all this. Everything would crash, just like a house of cards. Then I would be left with nothing but ridiculous memories of a time I used to see as sweet._

 _I am not asking anything, not really. It is fine by me if we never talk about it, if you prefer to not mention this letter. But please, don't feel sorry. You cannot feel sorry, not after what you did. Please. Don't ruin the odd charm that the moment brought me._

 _I love you more than anything, Jane. Thank you for existing._

 _Maura._

She had read it so many times that she now knew it almost by heart. Each word resounded loudly in her head before rushing to her heart to embrace it of an odd bitterness. Sitting on the front porch of the old house, Maura bit her lower lip at the screen of her computer. She was at the mercy of very contradictory feelings. The tension accumulated within herself was desperately asking for release when her reason simply told her that she should delete it.

She had copied and pasted it in the message space. Then she had added Jane's email address and had brought the little arrow to the 'send' button. She simply hadn't clicked on it. Not just yet.

The more she would wait, the more she would have doubts. It was a rather simple game to understand. Sending the email to Jane required a spontaneity that she didn't have. And a lot of courage as well.

Annoyed, she looked up and squinted her eyes at the ocean. It wasn't raining but the sky was gray and the clouds heavy. Still no whale in the distance, nothing but the rage of the Pacific below the vertiginous cliffs on the other side of the old main road.

"Hey, Maura. Do you want to come with us to the diner? I'm dying for French fries and onion rings." Emily walked out of the house and smiled at Maura. Everyone seemed to have taken the decision to have dinner outside as all her roomates suddenly appeared on the front porch, ready to go. "It's just at the corner."

Maura perfectly saw where it was. Depoe Bay was so small anyway that there was only one diner in town. She still had to see any kind of other restaurant outside of this one.

"This is an excellent idea, actually."

She was hungry and spending some time out would break the nonetheless sweet routine of her days in Oregon. Seeing that everyone was waiting for her, she barely cast a glance at the email and clicked on the 'send' button.

She had done it. Her future was sealed.

She immediately brought back her computer inside and abandoned it on top of her bed. She grabbed her bag instead then ran to the porch to join the rest of the group.

Spending some time with her roommates and colleagues would allow her to focus on something else. Of course her bold move would not completely leave her mind but she still would have a way to escape a bit from it.

 _Alea jacta est*_ as they used to say.

...

"Leave this barbecue sauce alone, for Christ's sake! There won't be any any more by the time we start eating. Why don't you go put some chips in a salad bowl instead? Gosh..." Jane straightened up and cast a brief glance at the meat on the barbecue. "And get me a beer."

Her mother had had a good idea, she had no choice but to admit it. It was 8pm – the temperatures were still awfully hot – but the smell of a barbecue made everything better. They had transformed the patio into a lovely outdoor dining room. Even Bass had decided to join the party and was now peacefully chewing on his leaves by Maura's lemon tree.

Frankie rolled his eyes but didn't insist. He set back on the table the barbecue sauce and walked inside to go for the beer and the chips. Darts in hand, Frost laughed at the scene. It didn't take anyone long to realize who was the boss in the Rizzoli family when Angela wasn't around. The matriarch had just left to go and buy basil.

"We should do that more often..." Lying in Maura's hammock, Korsak looked at Jane then motioned the patio. "This place's perfect for a summer barbecue."

"Yeah well, you know how Maura is. She's all for dinners with friends but barbecue doesn't make it to her list. Not enough quinoa in it..."

But because she missed her and wanted to have the feeling to share this dinner with Maura, Jane had nonetheless prepared a large bowl of quinoa. It was her own way – a more or less subtle one – to bring homage to her friend.

They hadn't Skype-d yet today. They had sent each other random text messages instead and every single time Jane had tried to put into perspective what Liv had told her at the restaurant she had failed. She had miserably failed.

The psychologist's advices were wise – her statements fair – yet Jane didn't manage to bring herself to put them into practice.

Soon, hopefully.

Frankie walked back outside holding a beer – Jane's cell phone – and a large salad bowl full of chips. He gave the drink to his sister then waved the electronic device.

"You got a message. It rang while I was inside."

Jane nodded and let Frankie be in charge of the barbecue. She grabbed her cell phone then went to sit down at the table with her beer in her hand. She took a long sip of it and let a sigh of satisfaction pass her lips. Spending the evening with people was a nice change. It would make her feel a bit less lonely and – with a little bit of luck – she wouldn't spend the entire time thinking about the dilemma that was tearing down her heart right now.

"Do you want to play darts with me?"

Jane nodded at Frost. She needed some lightness. The whole situation was dragging her down way too much. She was tired of being confused and scared. She opened the little envelope that had appeared on her screen then ran her tongue over her lips.

"You can start if you want. Anyway I'm gonna crash you like you have no idea."

Frost smirked. This comment was a typical Jane comment. She wasn't bad at darts but rarely won nonetheless. Yet her competitive spirit wouldn't let her admit it.

"If you say so..."

The page of her inbox appeared on the screen of her cell phone. She blinked – perplexed and surprised – as she realized that the email came from Maura. They had only used Skype and sent each other text messages until now. Emails were made for long conversations, conversations they actually could have when they called each other. Sending an email did not make much sense.

A bit uncertain, she nonetheless clicked on the message to open it. Her curiosity was piqued. She needed to know the reason why Maura had sent it.

...

 ** _*The die is cast_**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's note: Thank you very much for all the reviews and messages (as well as the suggestions).**_

 **Chapter Eight**

The intensity of the rain was such that Maura could barely see the other side of the road. The lull hadn't lasted very long; only a couple of hours. She had seen the sun pierce through the clouds but way too timidly to finally impose itself. Now they were back to a semi-darkness and a torrential rain.

Even the streets were empty. Not a single passer-by, not a single car. Newport looked like one of these ghost villages she had heard about but had never had the chance to visit.

"What a gloomy afternoon." Vera Watson – a coffee cup in her hand – smiled at Maura before sitting down at the small table of the cafeteria next to her. "Perfect for autopsies, it really fits."

Maura raised an eyebrow affirmatively. Vera was an excellent medical examiner. She paid a lot of attention to details and seemed to be driven by a rather impressive ambition. Her maternal smile - warm, terribly comforting - tended to counterbalance the coldness of forensics.

Maura assumed that she was very good at dealing with the victims' families when they came to her morgue in Nevada to identify the corpses.

"I had imagined Oregon to be different. I'm not disappointed but surprised. All this rain, all the time... What a singular atmosphere it brings to the city."

For the very first time since she had started her internship in Newport, Maura had decided to take a long afternoon break instead of a five-minute coffee one. It was a complicated day, emotionally difficult. Jane hadn't replied to her email. She hadn't tried to call her either. Nothing.

Instead, a deafening silence prevented Maura from breathing properly.

The situation was stressing.

What if she had ruined everything? For selfish purposes, besides. She had sent the email to Jane hoping that it would make her feel better but it hadn't worked out at all. As a matter of fact, the result was the exact opposite: a thick layer of guilt had wrapped up her frame and she now felt very stupid.

"Do you have any plan for the weekend? I think I'll rent a car and drive along the coast, either up North or down South. I don't know yet. I need some fresh air. Depoe Bay's way too small for my taste; way too quiet as well."

Very was right. They had three weeks left in Oregon and Maura already felt trapped in a life that she didn't assimilate as hers. Perhaps she should go away for a few hours. The only obstacle to this was that she lacked the energy to do so.

Even more now. All she wanted was to go back to bed or cuddle on the couch near the fireplace and watch the rain fall in silence.

"Have you suggested Jane to come over for a visit? Perhaps she'd like it here."

A semblance of a smile made Maura's lips curl up slightly. As much as Jane couldn't stand the Bostoninan heat, something told her that the cold temperatures of Oregon wouldn't make her dream either.

But the weather forecast was one a tiny detail compared to all the rest.

Maura couldn't invite Jane. As a matter of fact, she couldn't even find the courage to reach her one way or another. Jane probably needed some time right now. She was the one who had to make the next step.

Yet since Vera ignored the intricate nets of their current situation, Maura simply pouted and pretended to ponder the suggestion.

...

"Are you sure this is how it works?" Maura grabbed the lobster – set it down in a plate – then looked up at William. She wasn't convinced at all. "There has to be another way."

The night had fallen over Depoe Bay. Matthew had brought his computer to the living-room before selecting a playlist andjJazz was now filling the room, the saxophone notes melting into Emily and Emma's laugh.

Both women were conversing on the couch.

Maura had accepted to help William in the kitchen but the recipe he had in mind was completely foreign to her. As a matter of fact, even William was a novice. He had simply opened a recipe book he had found in the kitchen then had picked one up randomly.

"I don't know... Let's take another glass of white wine. I'm sure it'll help us figure it out."

The positive thing in this mess that was now Maura's life was that she didn't feel lonely. She was glad to be sharing a house with a few colleagues. The weight of her acts didn't haunt her the way they usually did because there was always someone around; someone who smiled, who laughed. For once it was extremely comforting to not live on her own.

"You're not calling her, tonight?"

Maura didn't need to ask William whom he was talking about. She had perfectly understood that he was alluding to Jane. Her heart began to beat faster. She swallowed hard yet remained quiet. The words wouldn't come up.

"Two days in a row... Is everything alright, Maura?" William held out a glass of Chardonnay to Maura then bit his lips as doubts seemed to pass underneath his skin. The gesture – as furtive as it turned out to be – resulted enough to let him show an unexpected uncertainty. "You can talk to any of us if you need to. You know that, right?"

"There's nothing to talk about. Besides, the connection is terrible. I've tried to send four text messages to my assistant. In vain. I don't understand why. The rain, perhaps..."

Even her emails wouldn't get sent. She had lost twenty minutes a bit earlier in the evening trying to send a couple of medical articles to Susie Chang.

Of course her brain hadn't needed more to start elaborating all kinds of scenarios, each one of them explaining why Jane remained silent. It wasn't that she didn't want to talk to her anymore. Nope. It was just that she was physically unable to do so. Such fantasies tended to comfort Maura – if only for a while – and helped her feel light.

Then the guilt came back, strong as ever.

"Then let's get drunk before working on this freaking lobster. Damn you're from Massachusetts, you should know about this stuff. This little wine isn't bad, hmm?"

William's monologue made Maura smile. Obviously her colleague was already intoxicated but since they didn't have to go back outside, she didn't mind much. Nobody had a car anyway. Every day, a shuttle came to pick them up to drive them to the morgue of Newport. Once back to Depoe Bay, they were stuck in the small town until the next morning.

"You remind me of Veronica. You have the same class, the same sass..." William winked at Maura then went to refill Emily and Emma's glasses of wine. "A college friend... She was a goldstar though. Are you one too?"

Maura froze. William had literally yelled his remark, as well as the question that had come up next. Now Emily and Emma were looking at her with an obvious interest and a barely hidden delight.

If there was one thing that Maura had learned about sharing a house with other adults, it had to be the way the notion of privacy was extremely fragile; to not just say completely foreign. Especially if William happened to be around.

"No, I'm not. I'm..." Maura ran a hand through her hair. She took a long sip of her wine then shook her head at her audience. "And I'm not dating Jane. She's just a friend!"

One more time, nobody looked convinced. What was it that they couldn't accept the truth? Every day her roommates made a remark – a more or less innocent one – regarding the kind of relationship she and Jane happened to have.

And every day she had the feeling to make a fool of herself trying desperately to crush their little fantasies.

"I refuse to believe nothing happened, not after what we've seen... Or then you're really in denial, Maura. You and Jane, actually." Emma stood up then walked to the kitchen counter where Maura stood. She picked a cracker. "C'mon, spill the beans. It's okay to have a little something with a friend, we all went through this at some point. I used to sleep with my college roommate and yet we both kept on saying that we were just two girl friends. It was... A fling, you know."

"William, I think we need to take care of this lobster and now." Maura grabbed their dinner-to-come but she didn't fool anyone. What had happened to the woman she used to be? Talking about her romantic life had never been an issue until now. Yet the mere idea of pronouncing Jane's name was challenging. "We don't sleep together. She's... She's what I told you: she's just my friend. I swear she is."

William's cell phone rang. Saved by the bell. He went to take the call. Maura assumed that Michael - his husband - was on the other end of the line.

"You've never kissed?"

Emily's question resounded loudly in the living-room to the point that everyone forgot about the jazz playing in the background. Maura paused. She opened her mouth to reply but found herself unable to say the slightest thing. She couldn't lie, after all. And the truth was that she didn't want to. She considered all the people present in the room like good friends. She had to be honest with them.

Her silence spoke for her.

"Hold on, Mike. I guess something's happening here." His cell phone in hand, William walked towards Maura and waited for a reaction. In vain. "Have you?"

Maura's absence of reply resulted enough for William – Emily – and Emma to understand. The medical examiner from New York let a smile of victory play on her lips. Emma raised a hand in the air in a very I-told-you-so way while William simply planted a chaste kiss on Maura's cheek.

"I'm proud of you, little girl. But see? You can't hide anything from me."

Maura hadn't let go of the lobster. She was still holding it firmly in her right hand. Long seconds passed by before she found the courage to finally react and speak.

A bitter smile barely brushed her lips. She immediately shrugged it away then looked at her feet. Something hurt in her throat, probably the weight of her doubts; all this incomprehension she had kept for herself until now. Jane's silence as well. It was unbearable. Why couldn't she say something? Anything. A text message would be enough, even if it wasn't related to the email.

"Who cares if we did... Now she doesn't reply to me."

The music stopped rather suddenly as her whisper rose with an indescribable pain. It heavily floated above their heads, reducing to pieces the sweet innocence of their evening.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's note: Thank you very much for all the reviews, I'm glad to see you're liking this story so far.**_

 **Chapter Nine**

"Hey, Maura! Do you want another beer?"

Emma wrinkled her nose at Matthew in obvious disapproval. She briefly motioned their colleague with her head then leaved over the bar counter to make sure that she wouldn't be overheard.

"Don't you think she has had enough? Four pints, Matthew."

The medical examiner from Michigan burst out laughing. It was Friday afternoon – they were back from the morgue for the weekend – and had nothing else to do than drink away their boredom at the pub William had found by accident in Depoe Bay.

"And so what? Her friend dumped her. She definitely is in her right to get drunk tonight." Matthew cast a glance at Maura before ordering the pints. "She needs to forget, Emma."

Emma didn't reply. She didn't necessarily like the idea of alcohol making the lines blurry but then she had to agree with her colleague. Sometimes alcohol helped. For a couple of hours. She would just make sure that Maura woult eat a little something too.

Sitting at a large wooden table by the windows, Maura kept on staring at the ocean outside. She felt empty. Her disappointment had melted into something a lot harder to define now. Her cell phone remained desperately quiet. She hadn't got any email either. Forty-eight hours had now passed by. She didn't need to be a genius to interpret Jane's absence of reply. Everything was clear, cruelly clear.

"Here come the babies..."

Matthew came back from the counter holding a tray full of pints of beer. Everyone gladly took one even if Emily didn't show her sudden lack of enthusiasm.

"Please don't call them like that, not after the day we've had."

Vera chuckled. Emily had a point. They had worked on the corpses of newborns for most of the day and as much as none of them was a forensics novice, it was still a situation quite hard to handle.

Nobody practiced the autopsy of a child without feeling a whirl of poignant emotions tightening its grip on their heart.

"A penny for your thoughts, Maura."

William's remark caused Maura to abandon the contemplation of the raging weather. She turned her head around and smiled at her colleague. Bitterly. It was strange but she actually felt lucky. Her life was a mess and seemed to depend on a very uncertain future but having all these people around her today brought a well needed warmth to her heart.

"I'm glad to be here, with you all... It's..." She hesitated. The words started dancing on her lips but she held them back for a long second. "It's my birthday, today."

"Oh my god! You mean you're turning twenty-five? Finally!" William stood up and trotted towards Maura to plant a warm kiss on her cheek. "Wait. We definitely need a cake. Damn, couldn't you tell us about it before?"

Maura rolled her eyes. William's exhuberant reaction was the exact reason why she hadn't said a word about her upcoming birthday during the week but now that the day had come, staying quiet over it had lost importance. As a matter of fact, everything had lost importance. She had never liked birthday celebrations but she had reached such a point of emotional blankness that she couldn't care less if her colleague found her a cake and a ridiculous paper hat to wear.

The only thing that matter – that weighed on her existence – was that it was the first time she wouldn't hear from Jane on August, 7th since they had met. Not a single text message, not a single Skype session. Nothing but the silence of her regrets.

...

It was barely 8pm but the clouds were so heavy and dense that the light was very poor on the streets. The rain added its usual curtain of icy diamonds to the gloomy scene, way too thick to let people see in the distance.

Laughing away their intoxicated state, the six medical examiners were happily walking on the main road to reach back their house. They had just stopped by the diner to get Maura a proper birthday meal: burgers – French fries – and a chocolate cake. They hadn't found any other last-minute celebratory kind of supper.

Their take-away in hand, they were now fighting the wind and the rain thinking about nothing but the glorious moment when they would find themselves sitting by the fireplace. Warm and in dry clothes.

They had just passed the blue house – the last one before theirs – when they spotted a shadow in the distance. Someone was waiting on the sidewalk.

The person had just rushed down the front porch and was now looking into their direction but the rain was so heavy that none of them could properly see who was there.

"It's not Caruso, is it?"

Intrigued, nobody replied to Emily's rhetorical question. The medical examiner of Newport was a lot shorter, actually.

They all resumed their walking until Maura stopped – her birthday meal in hand – and let a loud gasp pass her lips. She swallowed hard. For some reason, she had sped up the pace of her steps and was now slightly ahead of her colleagues who had stopped just in her back.

She wasn't utterly drunk. As a matter of fact, the five pints of beer hadn't had the single impact on her body. She was perfectly sober, way too much to now have hallucinations.

Confused, she made one more step towards the person who was waiting for them then stopped anew. No, she hadn't dreamed. Jane was standing there in front of her; only a few feet away. In the rain. She was wearing a rain coat but hadn't bothered on putting the hood on. Her hair – tied up in a ponytail – seemed to be absorbing most of the rain.

Only rebel drops dared to embrace her face before dying in the depth of her neck.

Something happened the moment she realized that it was Maura who had approached her. A light got turned on in her head and everything started looking bright again. She dropped her backpack on the floor then walked the distance that separated her from her friend.

Each step seemed to engrave an invisible yet strong message in her brain and by the time she found herself only mere inches away from Maura, a honest smile had curled up her lips and was now making her eyes glimmer delightfully.

She only stopped walking the moment she slid a hand on Maura's nape and captured her lips in a long – vital – kiss. It was raining heavily – she was icy and tired – but she couldn't care less. The same could be said for the group of people who were now witnessing them. She had found back the warmth of Maura's body against her and the softness of her lips; the sensation of satisfaction that emanated from the kiss. The rest didn't matter one second.

Cold rain drops began to slide along their lips and made their way to their mouths. The contrast of temperature turned out to be sharp, almost arousing.

Breathless, Jane finally broke the kiss but cupped Maura's soaked wet face with her hands before leaning her forehead against her friend's. She locked her eyes in Maura's hazel eyes and took a deep breath.

She had thought about this moment over and over. She had even learned by heart some sort of speech; a random series of words that she wanted to see as symbolical ones. But she didn't find the strength to actually speak. The moment she lost herself in Maura's eyes, Jane understood that they didn't need long sentences.

Everything spoke for itself, every single gesture.

"Happy birthday..."

Maura needed long seconds to react. As a matter of fact, if William hadn't cleared his voice in her back then she would have probably remained still – astounded – in the pouring rain. She opened her mouth to speak, to let the thousand words that were now dancing in her head pass her lips but she found herself unable to pronounce any of them. She blinked instead, frowned.

She understood tears were running down her cheeks when they reached her lips and she felt their salty taste against her tongue. Their warmth passed underneath her skin and rushed to embrace her heart of a powerful feeling.

Way too powerful for her to handle it properly.

She knew that she wasn't dreaming and yet it was exactly how it sounded. Even in her craziest fantasies she hadn't dared to imagine such scenario. Yet it had happened. Jane was there - standing in the rain - a hand on her waist. A protective hand.

"Someone needs to go back to the diner and buy an extra burger." William smirked. "Anyone?"

The remark made Maura smile. She turned around to look at him then shook her head with a lightness that she hadn't felt in a very long time.

"I'll share mine. It's okay."

Matthew snorted. Obviously he completely disagreed with what she had just said. He immediately gave his bag to Vera then shrugged at Maura.

"Blasphemy! Nobody shares a hamburger on a birthday. You're supposed to clog your arteries all by yourself. It's how it works... It's okay, I'll go get one. In the meantime, everyone go back inside... We're not having a submarine picnic. Do you want onion rings with your burger, Jane? Welcome here, by the way. If you don't mind about not seeing the sun for more than three seconds a day then you're gonna love it here."

"Oh..." Jane shrugged. She hadn't expected such welcome. As a matter of fact, she hadn't thought about the moment that would follow the kiss she was dying to give Maura. Reality had just caught up on her with all its oddness. "Onion rings... Yeah that sounds good to me. Thanks."

Vera grabbed the backpack Jane had dropped on the ground and walked the stairs of the front porch. She opened the door and motioned Jane to get inside.

"I don't know when you arrived nor how long you've been waiting in the rain but I guess it's time for you to enjoy some warm clothes and our fireplace... Oh don't pay attention to the lobster disaster in the kitchen. A recipe turned into a real nightmare last night. William and Maura are to blame."

Jane nodded, confused and slightly amused. At the mercy of a sudden timitidy, she quietly followed Vera inside while Matthew was running his way back to the diner at the end of the road.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's note: Thank you very much for all the reviews and messages.**_

 **Chapter Ten**

"What are you doing in the corridor? Go give her the bath towels! She needs you." Emma pushed Maura towards the door of the only bathroom of the house then resumed her walking towards the kitchen. She stopped by the door frame and looked again at Maura. "You have twenty minutes, girls. After that, we'll eat your burgers." Emma winked.

Maura didn't reply. She stared at the bathroom door instead and swallowed hard. William had immediately led Jane to the bathroom so she could have a very hot shower and change into warm clothes while Emily and Vera had put on some music in the living-room. Norah Jones' voice was now filling the tiny house, bringing peace and charm to the unexpected turn of events.

The calm after the storm. Everything seemed to come back to a slow pace as if by closing the door behind them, they had left the frenzy of the weather and of the past events outside. The house was a refuge, a quiet one.

Maura knocked softly on the door.

She couldn't just walk in without making sure that Jane was fine with it. As a matter of fact, Maura had been unable to take the slightest decision since Jane had kissed her in the rain a few minutes earlier. Her brain had stopped working and she had lost herself in some sort of twilight zone. The sudden change of pace had taken her aback to the point that she didn't know anything anymore.

"It's me... May I come in?"

Jane's stifled voice rose behind the door. Maura timidly stepped inside then closed back behind her. She didn't need to lock themselves inside. Her roommates and colleagues were polite enough to not walk in without knocking first.

"I brought you warm bath towels."

Maura set the linen down on the counter and bit her lips, not really knowing what to do. Jane was sitting on the edge of the old bathtub. She was still wearing her soaked wet clothes.

"Do you want me to leave? I can wait... I can wait in the living-room with everyone. We've put some music on and... And..."

Jane stood up and shook her head at Maura. She took her shoes off – unzipped her jeans – and proceeded to take off her sweater. Even her tank top was soaked wet.

"You must be cold." Maura made a step towards her friend to help her get undressed. "The house is old but the water is very hot. You'll enjoy it. Do you want to take a bath or a shower?"

Her fingertips were brushing Jane's cold skin – sliding furtively on her waist, on her stomach – while she made sure to avoid the mere eye-contact. The moment was strange, oddly intimate. But Jane didn't complain either. As a matter of fact, she remained quiet and let her own hands come across Maura's while working on taking off the wet clothes that were sticking to her body.

"Maybe... Maybe we should turn the water on."

Intimidated by the situation, Maura went to fill the bath tub but as soon as she turned around again she came to face Jane's shoulder blades; the thin white strap of her bra delicately embracing the olive skin under it. Jane was standing there - in her underwear - and didn't seem to be eager to move an inch.

Without thinking twice about it, Maura planted a quiet kiss on the exact spot she had been staring at before succumbing to an obvious eagerness - a not so timid desire - that caused her to look for Jane's lips instead. She cupped her friend's face with her hand to pull her closer to her own body and deepened the kiss in a stifled sigh of pleasure.

...

"Everyone tells us about the whales but we haven't seen any yet. How could we? The weather you've seen tonight is the weather we've had all week long. We've even given up on the idea of an excursion for the weekend... It's the weirdest summer I've ever lived. How is it in Boston?"

Sitting on the floor by the fireplace – eating her burger with everyone – Jane shrugged away Matthew's question. It was strange to spend the evening with people she barely knew, especially after the intimate moment she had shared with Maura in the bathroom. Their long and quiet kisses had led them to dance an odd waltz of feelings until the bath had been ready.

Then she had helped Maura get undressed and they had resumed their caresses, embraced by the hot waters of the bath this time.

They had made love but hadn't really had time to process anything. By the time they were over, they had had to step out of the tub and get dressed again to go have dinner with Maura's colleagues. She and Maura couldn't ignore them, not after all the things they were doing for them. Besides it was Maura's birthday. Everyone wanted to celebrate it.

"A scorching heat. We had a huge storm on Wednesday that caused a big blackout. Nothing was working anymore: the phone, Internet... Everything had shut down. It was a freaking' mess."

Maura almost choked on her glass of wine as she heard Jane talk. A storm. They didn't have any television in the house and the truth was that nobody had tried to read or watch the news during the week. They were literally cut from the rest of the world and enjoyed the idea.

"Oh my god. That's why Maura couldn't reach you." Emma's enthusiasm died almost immediately as she realized that – perhaps – Jane's silence was actually due to something else. She moved nervously on the floor and started fidgeting a paper napkin. "I mean... The text messages and all. You know... The silence...?"

Jane blinked at Maura's colleague – ran her tongue over her lips – before squinting her eyes at Maura. Something didn't make sense, suddenly; something that nonetheless seemed to have importance.

She swallowed hard, sensing how a wave of panic ready to rush through her veins. Sadly everything was starting to make sense in her head: the reason why she had never got any reply from Maura, why she had succumbed to some heavy panic at the prospect of not being wanted anymore. All these maybe's - all these what-ifs - suddenly seemed to make a lot of sense. Too much sense, actually.

"What messages?" She turned to Maura. "You... You didn't get my text messages? The ones I sent you on Wednesday and Thursday?"

Jane's voice rose in the sudden silence of the living-room. Her tone had rarely lacked so much self-confidence. Her voice had got reduced to an inaudible - shaking - whisper of some sort.

"I... I sent one on Wednesday while waiting in line at the airport and then... Then..." Then her long travel to Oregon had started. Since she hadn't booked any flight ticket, she had only managed to find a seat available for Chicago. From there she had had to wait for six more hours to be able to hop on a plane in direction of Portland. Then she had taken a bus to reach Depoe Bay. Two days of travel, of uncertainty and strong desires. "Oh shit."

Maura kept on staring from right to left, looking for the approval of someone around the small coffee table. Nobody had checked the news, nobody had learned about the storm. And her cell phone had remained tragically quiet.

Confused, Jane grabbed her very own smartphone and went through her history. She frowned. Her text messages had been sent. It clearly appeared on her screen.

"I don't understand... The storm must have screwed up the line because at no moment did I get an alert that'd tell me it wasn't working. I had signal. I..." Jane ran a hand through her hair as reality hit her. "Gosh I'm so sorry, Maura."

At least now she understood why she hadn't got any reply. Maura wasn't angry with her, she wasn't running away from her.

Reading the email had caused Jane to rush into a surreal frenzy. She had burst into tears – everyone present at the barbecue had got worried – and before she knew it, she was dropped at Logan International with the order to ony come back to Boston after seeing Maura. That was when the storm had hit Massachusetts, barely an hour later. It had caused many flight delays, many cancellations as well.

"It's okay, Jane."

"No, it's not!" Jane's loud reply made Maura jump slightly. "You must have thought I was some sort of a monster... It's not okay, it's awful!"

William immediately stood up and went to pick another bottle of wine in the kitchen. Only alcohol would help sweep away the misunderstanding. It was nobody's fault and Jane didn't have to feel sorry about it. She couldn't have guessed that the storm would have such consequences on her cell phone. She needed to relax, everyone needed to relax.

Obviously Jane was taking the situation very much at heart – which was fair – but she needed to be reassured now.

"That's one slog you've just gone through and all this to see our Maura... If that's not love then I don't know anymore. Actually, I'm that close to call my husband and yell at him because he didn't have the same idea!"

Love.

The word made Jane blush. She looked down at her French fries that seemed to glimmer under the candles that Vera had lit up before them to start their improvised dinner by the fireplace. She could hear the rain pouring hard outside but for the very first time Jane found the sound to be relaxing. She was enjoying the evening – the old house – and the presence of these people who were obviously more than mere colleagues for Maura.

Perhaps she wasn't ready to talk about love but a little voice deep inside kept on telling her that she shouldn't be afraid of the word. Things were going fast, the pace was challenging. It had barely been a week since she had kissed Maura at the airport but it felt like an eternity. An eternity of chaos that she hoped to now be behind.

Far behind.

"I've always been here for Maura's birthday. I couldn't imagine myself missing it... There's no storm that will ever prevent me from being by her side on August, 7th. Absolutely no storm."

Her dark eyes landed on Maura who was sitting next to her. It was the closest Jane would probably ever get for the moment to a declaration of some sort. As a matter of fact, her confession in disguise meant a lot. A bit intimidated by the audience they were having, Jane grabbed Maura's hand to squeeze it tightly. Warmly. Sincerely.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's note: Thank you very much for all the reviews.**_

 **Chapter Eleven**

There was an apple tree in the backyard, lost to the rain and the wind. Jane had spent the first ten minutes observing it before finally focusing back on Maura who was still sleeping by her side. The sun would probably not show today but she couldn't care less. The object of her affection – the only one – was lying down a few inches away from her eyes.

The curve of a shoulder – of a breast – delicately played a game of transparency with the bedsheet. The detail was hypnotizing. It didn't look prohibited anymore. Jane had caressed and kissed this skin, the night before. She had felt it under her lips, under the palm of her hands. Maura's body was alive and warm; inviting. Soft.

The house was quiet. Around 6.30am Jane had heard some noise that had seemed to come from the kitchen. Probably an early riser who had gone for a morning run as the quietness had resumed its reign very quickly.

Too comfortable in bed, she had preferred to remain next to Maura and let the hours pass by. She wasn't in a hurry anymore. She – who had run most of her life after a whole series of abstract notions – had decided to enjoy whatever existence had to offer, its sweetest details; furtive moments.

"I hadn't imagined that you were the type of person who enjoyed watching the others sleep."

Maura's remark surprised her. At no moment had Jane assumed that her partner could be awake. Maura hadn't moved, her breathing was still just as regular. Peaceful. She rolled on her side and finally opened her eyes. A smile played on her lips, a genuine one.

"Good morning."

The wrought iron bed grated as Jane tried to close the distance with Maura to plant a kiss on her lips. The noise made her blush. It had resounded loudly in the quiet house, way too loudly for the move to pass unnoticed.

"I'm gonna die of shame the moment I come across one of your roommates if the bed's so noisy." Jane bit her lower lip. She was honestly embarrassed, if only because they had done a lot more than just capturing each other's lips for a tender kiss the night before. "Is it okay with you if we never leave this bedroom ever again?"

The laugh that passed Maura's lips went straight to Jane's heart. Its warmth was comforting, and graceful.

"I am pretty sure they assumed we weren't about to play Scrabble when we went to bed last night." A mischievous light embraced her gaze. She bent over and kissed Jane. "They don't care, neither should you... Yet your suggestion is rather tempting."

Jane didn't say anything. She abandoned herself to the kiss instead with a barely contained happiness.

She had had a lot of time to think about everything, to let the events of the past few hours play again in her head as Maura had been sleeping. She hadn't come to any specific conclusion, convinced that there wasn't any to draw.

Everything looked oddly natural, logical.

Maura was her friend but something else – a very significant detail – had just decided to bring an extra element to their relationship. Perhaps she had been scared at first but the truth was that now Jane was fully enjoying it, fully embracing it. And it seemed to be the best decision she had ever taken in her existence; something that she would never be able to regret, no matter what.

...

Shovel and bucket in hand, Jane lifted her chin up in defiance to the wind then crossed the road ready to walk down the wooden stairs that led to the beach.

She and Maura had stayed in bed for a large part of the morning – catching back on a time deprived of caresses – before finding the motivation to get up. They had made love again, with the same sweetness as the day before. The rough – bare – emotions were still as powerful as the ones that had invaded them in the bathroom; their heartbeats resounding loudly against their chest and discarding thus the ridiculous idea that whatever they were now living was just a fling.

Nobody had interrupted them. The house had remained quiet and even when they had gone for breakfast they hadn't come across anyone. Maura's roommates respected their moment, the implicit boundaries that the current situation required. It was sweet.

"You remind me of Paddington with your yellow raincoat." Maura looked at Jane from head to toe then held back a chuckle. "It's... Unexpected." Although comparing Jane to a bear wasn't too far from the truth.

Jane pursed her lips. Due to the bad weather conditions, they had had to stop at the only small store of Depoe Bay to buy a raincoat and rain boots. Eugene – the owner of the shop – had gladly helped Jane to choose the proper attire to face the Oregon weather and she had purchased a kids' beach set – a shovel, a bucket, a rake, a sieve and a watering can – on her way out as well.

Who cared if it was raining? They were going to enjoy a day at the beach all the same.

"I thought you were exaggerating about the weather. I'd have taken my own raincoat with me." Jane adjusted the yellow coat and resumed her walking towards the stairs. "Just make sure to not take pictures."

"Not even of the sand castle you're going to build?" Maura winked.

The beach was empty. As a matter of fact, the wind was even stronger there than on the road above by the edge of the cliffs. The waves of the Pacific kept on crashing with an impressive regularity while the rain hit their faces icily. Yet they couldn't care less. They were happy.

They walked by the shore to pick up seashells – built a sand castle that the ocean swept away immediately – and laughed more than they had ever laughed. Life had turned easy, all of a sudden. Enjoyable. Serene. The sky was gray and seemed to cry a silent sorrow but the sun kept on shining in their hearts, higher and higher. The balance was a perfect one.

"I like it here."

Breathless after chasing Maura who had stolen the shovel she had sworn that she wouldn't even touch when Jane had bought it, Jane sat down on the wet sand and took a deep breath. The sea breeze went to her head bewitchingly. She had always loved the smell of the ocean, even as a kid.

"I miss the Bostonian life though."

Maura frowned at her own confession. It wasn't entirely true. She had simply missed Jane. There was something restful about Depoe Bay that she actually liked a lot. Of course she didn't see herself spend the rest of her life in the small town but the seaside spot nonetheless offered a nice break from the frenzy of Massachusetts.

Besides she didn't have any responsibility here. She wasn't the chief medical examiner. The daily dose of stress that her job could bring didn't find any echo in Depoe Bay. It was a nice, temporary change.

She sat down next to Jane and focused on the raging gray ribbon that spread a few feet away from them. The icy wind had reddened her cheeks and messed with her hair. Rebel locks were now floating all around her face.

"Had you ever... Had you ever slept with a woman before?"

The question probably sounded intrusive but Maura's curiosity had been stronger than what manners should have pushed her to ask, or better said not ask. She hadn't even dared to look at Jane, too afraid to embarrass her even more.

It was none of her business but she couldn't help wondering. The timidity of their first time in the bathroom hadn't been caused by a lack of experience but by the importance of the moment and if Maura wanted to be sincere then she would have said that Jane hadn't seemed to be a novice.

"No..." Jane's voice died in a whisper that got swept away by the wind. She cast a furtive glance at Maura before running her tongue over her lips. "It happened once before... At the academy. What about you?"

It was a strange conversation – certainly not the kind of topics that new lovers usually shared on their first day together – but instead of feeling embarrassed, Maura actually seemed amused. She was relieved to see that Jane hadn't taken it badly.

"No."

They didn't need any more detail, they didn't need any name; any background story. Their respective curiosity had been satisfied and they felt fine now.

"How long are you going to stay here?"

Maura didn't want to think about it but she perfectly knew that Jane wouldn't remain in Depoe Bay until the end of her internship. This wasn't realistic and she wanted to keep it in mind even if she didn't like it. Sticking to reality was a vital need. September wasn't far away anyway.

"Monday...? I didn't call Cavanaugh. Ma' did it for me, actually. I can't take more days off like that... I mean I left without any warning."

As a matter of fact, she could be glad to have a nice boss who wouldn't ask too many questions when she came back. Besides, it was the first time that she flew out of Boston so spontaneously. Yet she knew that this wasn't something she would be able to do twice in a row.

"Okay... I'm glad you're here – I'm glad you've come – even if you didn't bring me any present for my birthday."

The smirk that played on Maura's lips let Jane immediately understand that she was kidding. The only thing Jane had bought during her long journey to Oregon had been Toblerone at Chicago O'Hare which was something Maura wouldn't ever want to taste. She didn't even consider it as chocolate.

Jane rummaged around in the bucket where she had put back every single item of the beach set and dug in the sand.

"Look. Bass is here to celebrate your birthday too. Take it as your present from me. I brought him with me. All the way from Boston."

Maura laughed at the mud pie Jane had just made. She then grabbed the plastic item and shook her head apologetically.

"This isn't an African spurred tortoise mold, Jane. As a matter of fact, it doesn't really represent any specific specie. The shape is extremely bad, unrealistic at its best."

Jane rolled her eyes. They would need to work on Maura's ability to get detached from scientific stated facts at some point. She paused. No, they wouldn't have to work on anything because it was how it was supposed to be.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's note: Thank you very much for all the messages and reviews!**_

 **Chapter Twelve**

"You're thinking about her, am I wrong?"

Emma's question was purely rhetorical. It was an evidence. Maura put down her scalpel and timidly smiled at her colleague. Jane had left in the morning after the sweetest weekend spent in Depoe Bay but in spite of the activities scheduled for the day Maura couldn't think about anything else but the last couple of days.

She wasn't as sad she had assumed that she would be. Reality hadn't spread any veil of cruelty over her existence, on the contrary. The last seventy-two hours had proved her how sweet her existence could be. A bit surreal as well. And the distance would be temporary. It was absolutely nothing.

They would overcome it.

It was simply a matter of timing. Besides, being in Oregon while Jane was in Massachusetts may turn out to bring positive things to the new frame of their relationship. They hadn't rushed into things but the geographic distance would force them to ponder some things, to take their time and appreciate what life was offering them.

"You make a cute couple."

The compliment went straight to Maura's heart and made her blush. It was the very first time that someone alluded to her and Jane as an item, a romantically involved one. She liked the sound of it. A week and a half ago, it wouldn't have even crossed her mind but now it almost seemed like to be an evidence of some sort. A very meaningful one.

"Thank you for everything..."

She and Jane hadn't had a chance to thank anyone but the truth was that Maura's roommates had been adorable all along this short weekend. Sweet – friendly – respectful. And none of them had made any remark regarding the noisy wrought iron bed to Jane's highest relief.

They had honestly tried to remain as quiet as possible – their sighs and moans barely brushing the edge of their lips – but the slightest move on the mattress resounded loudly in the room and probably in the whole house.

"I hope you'll invite us to the wedding. I mean, we all got to witness the very first steps of your relationship. It has to mean something!"

Maura laughed nervously. Something told her that Angela would approve Emma's remark but a wedding had certainly not crossed her mind yet. The only thing she fantasized about was finding back the warmth of Jane's lips against her skin, the delicate caresses on her hips. Her thoughts were a lot more carnal – a lot more sensual – than any wedding ceremony.

Her whole life had tipped over after the kiss she had shared with Jane at Logan International - it had stirred up many feelings she hadn't been able to notice before - but she wasn't thinking about the future; not just yet.

Or at least not this kind of future.

"You're more than welcome to Boston. After all, Vermont isn't very far. I would gladly pay you a visit as well at some point."

A shriek interrupted their casual conversation. It came from William's table. Their curiosity piqued, Maura and Emma turned around to see what had caused such reaction. The medical examiner from San Diego raised a hand in the air to apologize for the outburst.

"The eye's frozen on this one. My scalpel just slid on it."

Emily immediately approached and took a lighter out of one of the pockets of her white coat. She placed it by the eye and enthusiastically nodded at William.

"No big deal... You'd be surprised to learn all the things we have to face in the morgues of New York City."

Maura burst out laughing and immediately thought about Jane, how horrified she would have been by Emily's useful yet slightly terrifying casual move.

...

Jane nodded one more time before turning on her heels and walking towards the door of Cavanaugh's office. He had been nice – just as she had imagined – and hadn't reproached her the spontaneity she had used on Wednesday evening.

"How is she? Tell her we miss her, here. It's not the same without Dr. Isles..."

Hand on the doorknob, Jane froze. She swallowed hard before nodding at her boss. Surely nobody ignored the current situation regarding her and Maura now. The bets her colleagues had desperately tried to hide from her would come to an end and the rumors would stop as well.

The BPD would sound awfully quiet now that the suspicions about the kind of relationship she had with Maura had implicitly made clear. She would actually miss the whole thing: all this teasing, endless innuendos.

"She misses Boston too, actually."

Cavanaugh nodded then let Jane go. She had been working for him long enough for her to know that he would never allude again to her private life. As a matter of fact, it was even the first time that the lieutenant dared to say something about it. He trusted Jane enough to know that she would manage to balance her professional and private lives.

She wasn't a rookie.

Jane walked to her desk and sat there. The reports she had to write down were waiting for her. Sadly, not a single homicide had required her team to work outside of the building during the weekend. It was really quiet, lately.

She had been apprehensive at the prospect of coming back to Boston but her mother had welcomed her as if nothing special had happened. Waiting for her at the arrivals of Logan International, Angela had simply smiled before taking her in her arms for a long – quiet – hug.

Then they had driven back to Beacon Hill and the Bostonian routine had wrapped Jane up immediately.

Maybe one day Jane would open up to her mother and talk about all these things she had always kept for herself. They weren't a secret – even less something shameful that would have dragged her down – but she hadn't found the courage to mention them until now.

They belonged to a part of her life that she had always kept in the dark, for whatever reason. But now that the situation with Maura had changed, Jane felt the urge to turn the page over years of silence. It was now or never. She could feel it.

She knew her mother, besides. She knew how curious she was. Angela had remained patient until now but it wouldn't last. If Jane didn't start the conversation then her mother would literally harrass her with an endless series of more or less intrusive questions.

"Is it too early to take a break?"

Jane's question made Frost laugh. She had arrived an hour ago to the BPD and didn't seem to be in the mood to work at all. If only the phone could ring. She hated doing paperwork more than anything.

" _Dirty Robber_ tonight at 7pm?"

Jane squinted her eyes at her colleague as if she was pondering the question then enthusiastically nodded. She wished Maura had joined them though. The weekend was still extremely vivid in her head. She still could feel her partner's hot breath on her neck, the warmth of her legs squeezing her waist. The graphic reminiscence made her blush.

She immediately looked down at the keyboard of her computer. Having such thoughts while facing one of her colleagues was embarrassing. Inappropriate.

"Do you even have to ask? Seriously?"

Frost laughed lightly. He seemed to hesitate for a few seconds then finally shrugged away the doubts he had just seemed to have.

"Maybe you wanted to go home to talk to her. That's what you've done pretty much every day last week..."

The remark made Jane pause. Of course she has planned on going on Skype with Maura but she hadn't assumed that her state of mind had been so transparent either for the past few days. She didn't like the idea of sounding somewhat clingy; emotionally dependent. It wasn't who Jane Rizzoli was supposed to be.

She leaned over her desk and locked her eyes with Frost's ones.

"Maura's off until September. That leaves us two weeks and a half to have more than one beer and share a burger every single day of the week if I want to. Once September hits us, things are gonna change, I tell you."

"Why would they change?" A file in hand, Liv Mayer stopped by Jane's desk and warmly smiled at her. "Have I missed something?"

Jane ran her tongue over her lips. Liv still had to meet Maura. They hadn't spoken about work during the weekend – their priorities lying somewhere else – but the presence of the new psychologist hadn't passed unnoticed at the BPD.

Liv was well appreciated by everyone so far and it did bring some changes. Jane was certain that Maura would like her. They had a lot in common now that she thought about it.

"How was Oregon, by the way? Is it as rainy as we pretend it to be?"

Jane opened her mouth to reply but Joey Mahoney – one of her colleagues – turned out to be faster than her. A cup of coffee in hand, he giggled like a school girl and raised a meaningful eyebrow.

"She didn't go for the weather. She probably didn't see the light of the day that much!"

What had just happened? Astounded, Jane turned around and squinted her eyes at Mahoney. She shook her head. She had been very naive to think that the guys would leave her alone now that things were more or less official. She wasn't a novice. She should have known better. The BPD was a small house – everyone was family – and teasing each other was part of their life.

She had no choice but to accept it.

Trying to pretend that her colleague's remark hadn't touched her the slightest bit, Jane focused back on Liv Mayer and politely smiled at her.

"It _is_ rainy. Very rainy. Oh, and windy."

Mahoney was right, though. It could have been sunny that she wouldn't have cared much about it. The amount of time she had spent in Maura's arms had reduced the weather forecast to an insignificant detail that had already faded away in her brain.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's note: Thank you very much everyone for all the reviews and messages (I'll reply to the messages tomorrow)**_

 **Chapter Thirteen**

Jane brought the fork to her mouth and chewed on her lasagna. The silence that reigned over the house was unusual and made her feel uncomfortable. Her mother had prepared dinner but neither of them seemed to dare to speak. They were eating in silence instead, observing each other with an obvious uncertainty.

It was their first face-to-face since Jane had come back from Oregon, the first evening they spent together without anyone else around. An unexpected timidity had wrapped them up and had changed the pace of their bond.

Too many untold things were screaming for their release.

A loud noise made Jane jump. She turned around only to see Bass by Maura's desk. Without thinking twice about it, she hurried to check on the tortoise. She knew that Bass had this tendency to bump into furniture once in a while but the violence of the impact had been greater this time. Maura would kill her if anything happened to him. Or she would at least be very sad which was something Jane wanted to avoid at all cost.

"His shell is the best protection one could dream to have, Jane." Angela smiled at her daughter. She had remained on one of the stools by the kitchen counter. She motioned the lasagna. "It's gonna be cold."

Jane nodded. Bass wasn't bleeding and he didn't seem in pain even if it was challenging to actually assess his current well-being. Not really reassured, she nonetheless walked back to the kitchen island and resumed her dinner. In silence.

"Do you remember my friend Isabella? From the Academy?"

The question made Angela freeze. She hadn't expected Jane to mention someone who had disappeared from their life twenty years earlier. It seemed to be coming out of the blue.

Yet sensing the importance of the moment in her daughter's voice, the matriarch nodded.

"Of course I do. The two of you were inseparable."

Jane put down her fork. She hadn't prepared anything – as a matter of fact, it hadn't even crossed her mind that it could come up now – but the words had finally found their way to her lips and she couldn't hold them back anymore. They had to hit the air and take away with them the weight of her long silence.

"We didn't argue. Not really... I mean this isn't the reason why we stopped hanging out together, the reason why I stopped talking about her. We..." Jane closed her eyes for brief seconds before taking a deep breath. Why did it require so much courage? She didn't understand. She didn't like it. It made her feel vulnerable, awfully fragile. "We slept together."

Her voice sounded blank, almost deprived of emotion. She hadn't managed to take some distance with her confession but her fear was such that her brain had made a strange assimilation to a complete blankness. She looked down at her plate immediately.

She felt sorry. She felt sorry for not telling her mother, for all the things that had happened between her and Isabella. She hadn't seen the girl anymore once they had graduated from the Academy. She didn't know where she worked nor where she lived. She had left things unfinished.

"I got scared." Jane timidly looked up, hoping to find comfort in her mother's eyes. "I ran away from her."

Angela frowned. Confusion spread on her face. Of course, she wasn't angry. Jane had never imagined that her mother would be when such conversation would happen. Yet she had no idea why she hadn't said anything earlier, why it had taken her half of her life to find the courage to open up about what had happened with Isabella.

"You're not thinking about running away from Maura, are you?"

It didn't take Jane one second to shake her head. Many things had changed. _She_ had changed. Perhaps she hadn't been ready by then – when at the Academy – but the situation was a lot different now. She was forty years old and whatever she felt for Maura went way beyond what she had felt until now. She couldn't explain it. As a matter of fact, the reason why she had kissed Maura at Logan International was still a complete mystery. The only thing she knew was that it had made her realize how much Maura meant to her; how much she needed her in her life.

"No... I'm physically unable to do that, actually. Maura... I wish she were here tonight."

Jane's voice broke. Suddenly. Unexpectedly. She tried to hold back her tears but it didn't work out. She had a hard time accepting the fact that she was back to Boston while Maura was still in Oregon.

The weekend they had spent together had been the best seventy-two hours of her life. Now she was back to nothing, to an emptiness she couldn't stand. It tasted too much of failures.

...

"May I ask you a question?"

A cup of coffee in her hand, Daniela Caruso warmly smiled at Maura's initiative before nodding. She motioned an empty table. They spent too much time on their feet practicing autopsies to not sit down during their break.

"Of course. Unless it has to do with the weather... I swear we usually have some sun in the summer. This year is just particularly bad."

"It has nothing to do with the incessant rain. As a matter of fact..." Maura sat down at the table and ran her tongue over her lips. She wasn't sure that she should ask anything. The question that was burning her lips was personal. "It has to do with your career. You're a brilliant medical examiner – your articles about the influence of limnology in forensics are renown and they are the exact reason why we're currently taking part in this internship – and yet... Why did you decide to remain in such a small town? You could have got so much bigger. You're an excellent specialist."

The smile on Daniela's face seemed to freeze which caused Maura to feel extremely bad. Her question was impolite. It was none of her business and yet she couldn't help wondering why her colleague – whose skills made her green with envy – had landed in Newport. She could have easily gone to San Francisco.

"It's a long story but to make it short... I feel fine, here. I don't see myself going anywhere else, not anymore. And I am glad to welcome some colleagues once a year for this limnologic internship."

Maura nodded but didn't say anything back. She had a hard time understanding such a choice. Daniela Caruso didn't lack ambition. One could easily sense it the moment the woman walked into a room. Her presence spoke for herself.

Daniela laughed. Her eyes glimmer in delight. She looked amused, absolutely not bothered by Maura's curiosity. After all, the question was fair. Newport was a small city, it was very quiet in terms of forensics.

"I've met someone here. I came to Newport for the summer and... I've never left anymore. It doesn't have to do with my job, or with my career. I decided to stay here because I had met someone, someone who could hardly move away from Oregon."

This time Maura felt incredibly stupid. Who was she to force someone to talk about personal matters? Daniela Caruso was nice enough to reply but Maura still had overcrossed some limits.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked..."

Her hazel eyes landed on her colleague's hand. She wasn't wearing any wedding band. For some reason, Maura had assumed that she lived on her own. Daniela seemed to be a lonely person.

"She died."

The silence that followed the confession turned out to be hard to face. The cafeteria as such an impersonal place. Not a single person should have been forced to talk about someone's death there. It was cruel. Feeling uncomfortable, Maura looked by the window and held her breath. What was she supposed to say, now?

"She drowned." Daniela shrugged - very matter-of-factly - before offering an apologetic smile. "That's I work so much on limnology now. It's a bit cliché but I suppose we can see it as some form of therapy. Self-therapy. I've heard your friend came to visit you, this weekend. She works for the BPD, doesn't she?"

Maura nodded. Not a single word managed to travel up her throat to make it to her lips. She hadn't expected their casual conversation to take such turn. She wasn't prepared for it.

"She... She's not my friend. Jane is a lot more than just a friend, actually." They hadn't defined anything and would probably never do but Maura knew that she couldn't talk about friendship anymore. It would have been a blatant lie. "We... She shares my life. She's been sharing my life for five years now."

Daniela Caruso didn't need to know every single detail of the evolution of their relationship. Besides, it seemed to fit now that Maura thought about it. Jane had indeed been sharing her life since the very first day they had met. She had always been the one. Always.

"It's going to be alright."

Daniela Caruso squeezed Maura's hand as if to emphasize her latest comment. She stood up - nodded politely - then turned on her heels. Maura observed her go. She let her colleague's words sink in, she let them embrace her mind. Their lack of precision wasn't an issue. Maura perfectly understood what Daniela had just meant.

With a shaking hand, she grabbed her cell phone out of the pocket of her white coat and feverishly wrote down a text message to Jane before deleting it. She called her instead. The wait seemed to last for an eternity.

And then the relief - bare, powerful - as Jane took the call.

Maura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She abandoned herself to the whirl of feelings that seemed to rise from her lower stomach, the ones that made her feel gently dizzy. She smiled as Jane started speaking.

"Maura? Is everything alright?"

Everything was, now. Everything would always be. Daniela was right, Maura wanted to believe it. Whatever was going on was meant to be. End of the story. Apprehension and fears could vanish, she wouldn't let them darken her sudden life glory.

"Yes. I just wanted to hear your voice... I needed it."


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's note: Thank you very much for all the reviews!**_

 **Chapter Fourteen**

"You should have seen the results. The presence of diatoms in the lungs was incredibly high..."

Maura's genuine excitement warmed up Jane's heart. The passion Maura had for science was cute, extremely cute. A single second spent with her and she could convert anyone to forensics in the most bizarre way ever.

Trying to remember the last case they had had to handle at the BPD that had confronted them to diatoms, Jane frowned and concentrated hardly.

"Presence of diatoms so... He drowned, right? The presence of diatoms in the lungs indicates a drowning. These are the limnologic results."

Maura nodded and barely hid a proud smile. Jane was making the effort to follow a conversation that she probably didn't enjoy much all in all. It was late in Boston – she was working – but she was still there, paying attention to every single detail Maura could tell her. There was nothing sweeter. It was going straight to Maura's heart. She nodded, way too shy to ever express her feelings out loud.

"Therefore the importance of limnology in forensics. The presence of diatoms clearly indicates that the victim drowned, that he or she wasn't dropped into the water while the heart had already stopped. Of course the drowning still can be accidental but..." Maura interrupted herself as Jane seemed to look at something – unless it was someone – on her right. She forced a smile. "Is everything alright?"

Jane had insisted on having the Skype session even if she was still at the BPD. She had said to Maura that it was all fine, that she wasn't busy. Yet obviously something had caught her attention since she wasn't looking at the screen of her computer anymore.

"Hmm?" Jane raised an eyebrow and feigned to be surprised by the question. She immediately straightened up on her seat then nodded before motioning someone to approach. "It's just Liv, she was passing by."

Maura clenched her teeth. It was ridiculous but she didn't appreciate much the fact that her Skype session was interrupted by some woman she didn't know. Especially when the aforesaid woman was Liv Mayer.

Feeling a cold anger boil in her lower stomach, she cast a furtive glance at her bedroom then took a deep breath to calm down. In vain. She was officially pissed.

"Oh. I see. Good evening, Ms. Mayer. I'm Dr. Maura Isles."

The psychologist timidly waved at Maura as she appeared on Jane's right. Way too close to Jane for Maura's taste.

"Good evening, Dr. Isles. You can call me Liv. I'm looking forward to working with you, here. I've only heard good things about you."

"I'm afraid I can't say the same about you."

Maura's snappy remark made Jane choke. She nervously smiled at Liv before widening her eyes with great confusion at Maura. The cold treatment was definitely not necessary. Thankfully, Liv didn't seem to take it badly. She actually burst out laughing.

"There I was, hoping that my skills at playing darts had reached Oregon already!"

The friendly tone used by the psychologist didn't reach Maura the slightest bit. She simply raised an eyebrow and looked at Liv; impassive.

"Jane and I had better things to do when she came to visit me over the weekend. We didn't waste time talking about our colleagues. Even less new ones."

Someone called Liv on the other side of the bullpen. She politely excused herself then left. Jane looked at her go away before leaning over her computer visibly angry with Maura. She scoffed.

"What on Earth was that, Maura? What has she done to you to deserve the bitch treatment? She's a cool cat..." She hissed. "Why, you don't wanna pee all around me to mark your territory too?"

Maura rolled her eyes. She had never been the jealous type. As a matter of fact, it was the very first time that someone made such remark to her. She shrugged, not really knowing what to say. She didn't like Liv Mayer. It was a fact. And it wasn't her fault. She had no hold over her emotions.

"I don't urinate on people, Jane. I am not a cat." Maura paused. Avoiding the issue was coward and childish. "She was ogling you."

Jane gasped. Under other circumstances, she would have found Maura's jealousy very funny; maybe even cute. But at work, it was a completely different story. Jane was pretty sure that Liv wasn't single and she couldn't care less about her anyway. It wasn't the person she had in front of her eyes all the time. She barely saw Liv, actually.

Yet she assumed that it was a bit early to let Maura know about this.

"She was not! How dare you..." Jane scoffed. She knew it was stupid but she couldn't help it: Maura's reaction drove her mad. She didn't like it when her partner was territorial. It made her suffocate. "If you don't trust me then we're gonna have an issue here, I tell ya!"

...

Maura slammed the door of her bedroom and rushed to the kitchen. She needed to get out of the house to get some fresh air but the pouring rain stopped her. Angrily, she opened the fridge then grabbed a bottle of wine. She poured herself a glass, swearing between her clenched teeth.

Laughter rose in her back. She didn't need to turn around to know who was sitting by the fireplace, amused by her current state of mind. She rolled her eyes.

"There is nothing funny, William. Absolutely nothing."

"Oh c'mon, sweetheart. The anger face doesn't suit you at all. It doesn't match your pretty features. What happened that you're now fuming?"

Maura clenched her fists – closed her eyes – and tried to analyze the storm of feelings that was taking place in her head right now. Sadly she wasn't calm enough to come to any conclusion, to see anything relevant in all this. On the verge of bursting into tears, she turned around to face her colleague and swallowed back a wave of sobs.

"We argued."

The confession surprised William. He raised an eyebrow – as if waiting for further details – then laughed lightly as Maura remained quiet.

"And...? That only takes you one step closer to the married life, Maura. Big deal, really."

Maura grabbed her glass of wine and took a long sip of it. The alcohol burnt her throat and made her choke slightly. She needed to slow down a bit if she didn't want to end up intoxicated, crying away her ridiculous sorrow.

Her ridiculous jealousy.

"You don't understand... It's our first argument... As a couple, I mean. It's... And it's all my fault."

She had to admit that if it had been Jane's fault then perhaps she would have seen the situation differently. But things were such that it wasn't. She had started it and couldn't but admit it. Nervous, she started biting the nail of her thumb and waited for William to say something back.

Emma and Vera walked into the living-room. It was dinner time; or at least time to decide whether they cooked or got something delivered. The day had been long at the morgue of Newport and everyone was tired. Besides, they all had to write a first essay about their new limnologic knowledge related to drowning cases. The second one would happen later.

"Well, there's a first to everything. If you don't like it then go apologize right away. That's how it works. Easy. A piece of cake. Look at Michael and I... We argue but make peace right away... Sure you can't have angry sex and that's a shame because there's nothing like angry sex but sexting isn't bad either."

The suggestion didn't embarrass Maura the slightest bit. She simply found it ridiculous and preferred to roll her eyes while Emma and Vera burst out laughing.

"What happened?"

Maura pursed her lips and waited for a couple of seconds before replying to her colleague from New York City.

"Jane and I went into an argument. I... I didn't turn out to be very polite when she tried to... Well, when she tried to introduce me to the new psychologist who works now at the BPD. What can I say? The woman kept on ogling Jane all the time. I'm not supposed to like this kind of behavior."

"Oh... Catfight much?" Vera poured herself a glass of wine before offering an apologetic smile at Maura. "Something tells me you don't have to worry. We've all seen how Jane was looking at you. I know it's just my opinion and it's worth what it is but... I guess Jane can't see anyone but you right now. Really, Maura. She's way too much in love with you to even notice someone else's presence around. Relax. There's nothing to fear, here."

Maura swallowed hard and clutched to the kitchen counter as her colleague's words rushed to her mind. Neither she nor Jane had really expressed the feelings they had for each other. Hearing someone else openly talk about it was strange, slightly confusing.

"But I'm not there... Who knows if she'll wait for me... Nobody ever did, actually. Nobody ever waited for me until now."

The inaudible whisper that passed Maura's lips caused Emma to take her in her arms for an unexpected yet relieving hug. Perhaps Maura had misjudged the weight of the distance in her relationship with Jane. Perhaps she had rushed to conclusions and was now facing the truth that couldn't be more different than her original opinion.

If being with Jane had brought her a surge of happiness she hadn't felt in a very long while, it seemed like that the relationship had also opened the doors to a thousand insecurities that she had abandoned in a corner of her mind.

A long time ago.

She didn't have the best of romantic backgrounds. Her self-confidence was quite low in spite of her hopes. She wasn't good at human relationships, let alone romantic ones.

"I don't want to lose her." Maura shrugged. She felt sorry, atrociously sorry. Her behavior was ridiculous. "That's all. I don't want to lose her. And she's so far from me..."

Starting a relationship while being on the other side of the county was anything but easy. Maura was slowly realizing it now. And she didn't like it.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author's note: Thank you very much for all the reviews (there is one chapter left; or two).**_

 **Chapter Fifteen**

"Is she coming?"

Jane paused – blinked – then rolled her eyes as she realized who Maura was talking about. They hadn't really talked about Liv Mayer since their argument. As a matter of fact, they had simply pretended to turn the page over whatever had happened but what had seemed to be a good idea at the time was now turning into an issue they would obviously need to talk about. And the sooner the better.

"It's a BPD party, Maura... Of course, she's coming." Jane straightened up and took a deep breath. She wasn't in the mood to argue. "Her husband is coming too." Jane smiled.

The extra detail didn't seem to satisfy Maura the slightest bit. She pursed her lips and shrugged before looking at a stack of papers that she had previously left on her bedside table. She needed to read most of these articles tonight. It couldn't wait. The case they would study tomorrow in Newport was connected to these limnologic essays. She needed to prepare herself for it.

"It bothers me that you get along with her."

Because the only woman Jane should have enjoyed spending some time with was herself yet Maura didn't dare to say it out loud. It would have sounded way too territorial. And stupid. What kind of person prevented her partner from having friends?

"We just work together, you know... Yeah sometimes she joins us for a drink at the Dirty Robber but so do Frost and Korsak. Maura..." Jane's hoarse tone of voice vanished in a semblance of painful whisper. "It's not every day I get to work with a nice woman at the BPD. There's no competition between us unlike with some other female cops and... I don't know. It's good to not be the only woman around; especially when you're not here to counterbalance the whole thing. You know how it is to work here. Liv... We're just colleagues who get along."

Jane's point was fair, Maura couldn't but admit it. She knew that – as much as she didn't complain – Jane still had a hard time working in such a male environment once in a while. The psychologist's presence must have been relieving. Besides it wasn't Jane's type to literally jump on the first person who showed up. Even less a woman.

The fact they were now together didn't make of her some sort of a womanizer. As a matter of fact, she didn't even seem to be attracted to any other woman around.

"Why did you kiss me? At the airport, at Logan International. Why did you do this?"

The question hit the air rather sharply. It took them both aback. Maura hadn't really thought about alluding to it ever again; so let alone tonight. She was tired and didn't want to spend much time analyzing the wanders of her heart.

"I don't know. I guess it seemed the right thing to do at the time. I just... I didn't really think much by then. It just happened. It felt natural. Like... You know, a normal gesture. The one I was supposed to go for."

Disarmed, Jane looked down at the keyboard of her computer and waited for a reply. She still didn't manage to find an explanation to this kiss but her obsessional quest of some truth regarding it had now vanished.

Perhaps it had simply been a subconscious desire. As a matter of fact, the current situation – the relationship she had with Maura – seemed to go on this direction.

"I'm glad you did because... Because it felt right."

Maura's smile embraced her softly murmured reply. She locked her eyes with Jane's then nodded with determination. It had felt right. Everything felt right when she was with Jane.

...

"Hey..."

Maura's voice slid on her ear in the sweetest way ever. Shivering at the whisper, Jane opened her eyes and rolled on her side. She squinted her eyes in the dark. Maura was standing there, all smile. Confusion embraced Jane's face.

"What are you doing here?"

Maura still had a week to spend in Oregon. She had absolutely no reason to already be in Boston. Besides, what kind of flight allowed her to make it to Beacon Hill in the middle of the night? Taken aback, Jane went to turn the light on but Maura prevented her from doing so. Her hand brushed Jane's wrist – furtively – before she captured her lips for a kiss.

They had all the time in the world to speak. Jane didn't insist. What for, anyway? Finding back the heat of Maura's arms around hers had suddenly changed her priorities.

She helped her partner take off her raincoat then smiled in their kiss as she felt Maura pass on top of her. The urge of their caresses echoed the frenzy of their lips against each other's skin. The rustling of the sheet - clothes being taken off - resounded loudly in the electric silence of the bedroom.

Jane closed her eyes as a deep satisfaction started filling her. She took a deep breath. Maura seemed rather determined to lead the whole dance and – truth to be told – Jane was perfectly fine with it.

She was still a bit sleepy besides, hanging between two dreams.

"I've missed you..."

The words barely had time to pass her lips as a sigh swept them away immediately. The path of kisses Maura was tracing down her neck was a lot more arousing than what Jane had assumed it to be. She needed to focus and calm down her heartbeats if she wanted to last more than two minutes.

Succumbing to the delicate – feathered – ministrations, Jane plunged a hand in Maura's blond curls and arched her back to pull her lover even closer to her body.

Maura's hands had already reached her stomach, her fingertips brushing the flesh with a mischievousness barely hidden. It didn't take her long to get rid of Jane's tank top but the sudden pause had nonetheless been too much for her mouth that eagerly found back the shivering skin of Jane's breasts.

The touch – unexpected yet desperately wanted – made Jane gasp. They had made love in a sweeter way when in Oregon. This time, a blatant eagerness caused Maura to be a lot more direct. It was arousing and drove Jane on the edge.

The cotton fabric of her hipsters slid down her legs and – before she had a chance to catch back her breath – Jane felt Maura's lips dangerously going up her inner thighs while her hands kept a firm hold on her hips.

They had barely exchanged two words – as a matter of fact, Maura had only pronounced one – but Jane couldn't care less. As a matter of fact, the lack of conversation emphasized the sensuality of their carnal purposes. She found it arousing, terribly arousing.

She froze as soon as the tip of Maura's tongue brushed her flesh – just there – between her legs. Unable to say the slightest thing, Jane bit her lower lip and abandoned herself to the pleasure of the caresses.

She was fully awake now. Her half-asleep state had been swept away by the sensations stirred up by Maura's tongue and the way her fingertips kept on playing with the shivering skin of her hips.

The absence of light seemed to create a degree of intimacy that Jane appreciated. She had got used to the dark by now anyway and the moon pierced through the windows of the bedroom.

Maura's bedroom.

She had spent all her nights there since she had come back from Oregon. She needed it as if she could feed herself of the ghost of Maura's presence that kept on wandering there. The room carried her smell, every single detail belonged with her.

The pace of her heartbeats kept on increasing, following the staccato movements of her pelvis. She had lost control of her body a long time ago. Maura's lips – her hands – had shut down Jane's brain rather suddenly.

Jane's reactions were instinctive, almost primary. She had no hold whatsoever over the way her body got tense under a more evident caress, a more direct touch. The only thing she knew was that her orgasm kept on building in her lower stomach and that it wouldn't take her long to reach this point of no-return if Maura didn't slow down a bit.

And it wouldn't happen, Jane could sense it.

The palm of Maura's right hand began to travel up Jane's hip. It slid on her lower stomach – brushed her side – before cupping her breast with a sweet authority. Combined to a change of pace between her legs, Jane held her breath and tried to refrain what was now irreversible though.

She held it one second barely before it rushed through her veins – through her whole body – in a powerful and burning wave that made her shake immediately. Words died in her throat, swallowed back by a gasp. She froze again; her back arched.

3am.

Breathless – still aroused by her dream – Jane barely cast a glance at the alarm o'clock in the dark before rolling on her back. It was the second night in a row that she had such a dream, that her subconscious took her to Maura's arms for a whirl of exhilarating feelings.

The second night in a row as well that she woke up alone in bed.

She ran a hand through her hair and – still breathless – swallowed hard. She didn't want to get up to have a glass of water or even splash some on her face. She wanted to stay in bed and enjoy this state of lethargy that the hormones released by her brain kept on producing.

It was sweet, hypnotizing.

A blue light rose from the bedside table along with a sound of vibration. Someone had sent her a text message. Still at the mercy of a numb state, Jane rolled on her side and grabbed the device. It was Maura's.

 _I'm thinking about you, tonight._

 _I wish you could be in my arms._

 _Maura_

Jane bit her lips and hesitated for a couple of seconds before sending her a reply.

 _You're the only person I have in mind. All the time._

 _I miss you so much..._

 _Jane_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

They had all hoped for the rain to stop but had finally embraced the idea that they wouldn't see Oregon on a sunny day. Perhaps it was better this way. It matched their stay, after all. They had got accustomed to it as well. The rain had just turned into an odd symbol of some sort.

"I'm looking forward to seeing my family again... And resume my morning runs in Morningside Park!" Emily grabbed the salad bowl and winked at Maura. "I'm going to assume you're looking forward to seeing Jane again."

Maura smiled. Of course she was. As a matter of fact, she had been thinking about nothing but it these past few days. There she was, at last.

Her imminent return to Boston had become a tad obsessional. She had managed to handle it, to handle the withdrawal of Jane's lips on her skin; her kisses. Her presence. Within twenty-four hours now, she would be back to Beacon Hill and everything would be perfect; just like in her dreams.

Hopefully.

Her latent anxiety was palpable but comprehensible too. It wouldn't be the same once back home after all. She had left Massachusetts in a very different context. She hadn't said it to anyone but she had the feeling that her life was actually about to start; that everything she had to experience was waiting for her on the other side of the country. With Jane.

Would Jane move in with her? How would they behave in public? In front of their friends and colleagues? Would they ever talk about taking some more serious decisions, like a wedding?

An endless series of questions was twirling in her head and made her feel a tad dizzy. But she was fine with it. She was convinced that every single piece of the puzzle would find its place in the most natural way ever, just like the kiss Jane had given her at Logan International a month earlier.

Existence belonged to an untouchable logic.

"I'm sure she's looking forward to finally meeting the infamous Liv Mayer in the flesh."

Bottle of wine in hand – the very last one – William stuck his tongue at Maura in a childish way. It was their last dinner together. The moment seemed to melt into a bitter excitement, something paradoxical. They would all miss each other yet couldn't wait to be home.

"As a matter of fact, I've already had the occasion to speak to her. In private."

And everything had gone smoothly. A rather serious case had landed at the morgue in Boston. The psychologist had been requested to help. Seeing the importance of the moment, the senator had asked Maura to coordinate the whole thing and she had had to spend a long moment on Skype with Liv. Now she understood why Jane liked her. Liv Mayer was nice – smart – and rather cheerful. She was a good addition to the BPD, Maura was certain of it.

Maura trusted Jane. It was now obvious that Liv was not interested in her and that there was nothing to fear yet Maura still had to work on her insecurities one way or another. Her relationship with Jane would certainly bring her the peace she desperately needed.

"Did you virtually bitch slap her?"

Maura sat at the dinner table and shook her head at her colleague. She would miss these evenings in the old house. She would miss the sound of the rain against the windows and the crackling of the logs in the fireplace. The smell.

A whole month had passed by and Depoe Bay held now a special place in her heart.

She rolled her eyes at William then planted an unexpected kiss on his cheek. A bright smile played on her lips, lighting up her graceful features.

"Get over your fantasies, Montgomery. There won't be any catfight at the BPD."

...

She had seen a whale. In the morning, Maura had sent a text message to Jane to let her know that she had finally seen a whale. In the distance, through the usual curtain of rain.

A shuttle was about to drive them to the airport when she had looked up to observe the Pacific ocean for a very last time from the front porch of the house. Then she had seen it. At last.

The story had made Jane smile. It carried a delicate innocence that echoed the beats of her heart whenever she thought about Maura.

Maura.

Impatient, Jane sped up the pace of her steps. She still had some time though. Maura's flight hadn't landed yet. She just wanted to be there already, waiting by the arrivals. She had barely slept. Her excitement had stolen her dreams and she couldn't wait to take Maura in her arms the second she would see her walk outside the terminal.

She had taken two days off. There was no way she would go to work without enjoying a few hours alone with Maura first. She needed it. It didn't have to lead to anything particularly intimate. Her fantasy was bare, sweet: she simply wanted to stay in Maura's arms without saying a single word, without moving an inch.

It didn't make her blush. Something had happened within herself since she had come back from Oregon. She was ready to assume her relationship, the desires and dreams she had about it. She didn't want to hide. It was all about embracing it fully. Proudly.

For someone who had never felt comfortable with her feelings, the change was quite drastic.

Ten minutes. Jane checked the screen one more time and barely held back a scream of excitement. Maura's flight was now landing. The place was crowded. There was even a television crew ready to film something. If Jane had wanted to be cheesy then she would have said that it reminded her of the very last scene of _Love Actually_ but Jane Rizzoli wasn't about to start talking about romantic comedies. Or at least certainly not openly.

Something caught her attention on her left, a detail that made her suddenly doubt. A man was holding a bouquet of flowers, tulips. She had arrived to the airport three hours earlier but hadn't thought about buying anything for Maura. She had drunk her excitement away in high doses of caffeine instead then had paced until the arrivals gates.

Yet Maura loved flowers.

Jane flinched. The flight had now landed. It was too late for her to go buy some and come back on time. The nearest shops were quite far.

Besides, she had managed to find a good spot among the crowd: Maura wouldn't have any problem to find her there.

She had screwed it though. A veil of disappointment wrapped up her mind. During all that time, she had thought about nothing but her very own pleasure when she should have realized that buying Maura something was pure evidence. Of course Maura wouldn't make any remark but Jane was really not proud of herself.

Unless a bouquet of flowers was a bit too cliché?

She bit her lips as a wave of doubts spread in her veins. She needed to relax, to accept to abandon herself and go with the flow. Then everything would be easier, so much easier.

The gates began to open. She subconciously held back her breath. Her heart was pounding loud in her chest. Her hands were moist. Her eyes started a ballet of some sort as travelers walked towards her and the large group of people waiting by the gates.

It was over. The wait – the loneliness of the past few weeks – was about to vanish forever. Jane was somewhat proud. She had been able to handle it, in her own way. The distance had actually strengthened her feelings, her determination to make it work. It couldn't fail. They couldn't fail. She wouldn't let it happen.

Lost in her thoughts, she almost missed Maura. An alarm got set off in her head as her subconscious spotted her a few feet ahead. Unable to wait any longer, Jane walked over the line – shamefully showed her police badge to a member of the airport security – then rushed to Maura. Her move had been completely spontaneous, driven by a powerful urge she couldn't control.

"Maura!"

Jane's voice rose loudly in the terminal but – way too focused on her partner – she didn't realize that her outburst had caused a few travelers to turn around to observe the scene. The contrast with their last encounter at Logan International couldn't be any sharper. To the delicate incomprehension had substituted a blatant desire. A loud one.

There was no hesitation anymore, even less confusion.

Within three steps Jane reached Maura. She didn't even take her in her arms. Instead – just like the last time – she let her hand slide on her partner's neck to pull her closer to her body then captured her lips in a urging kiss.

Maura's bag loudly landed on the floor as she let go of it to pass her arms around Jane's neck. A shaking smile began to play on her lips before it melting in the kiss. She had never been into such display of affection before but everything was different, this time. It was a need, a vital one. A powerful feeling that seemed to control her whole body; and the beats of her heart, her mind.

Breathless and full of an exhilaration she could hardly describe, Jane finally broke the kiss but kept Maura close against her body. She swallowed hard then plunged her eyes in her partner's hazel ones.

This was it. Finally.

The words rose from her lower stomach. She felt them rush through her veins – wrap up her heart – before following their sincere journey until her lips. It had never felt so right. Jane smiled, echoing the happiness in Maura's eyes.

"I love you."

Maura didn't need to reply. The emotion that showed on her face turned out to be enough for Jane to understand that she was feeling exactly the same. Not really eager to stay at the airport, they grabbed back Maura's bags and – hand in hand – started walking towards the doors.

The sun was shining outside. It was a perfect day for a new start.

The End

 _ **Author's note: Thank you very much for all the reviews and messages that you have sent me all along this story. I leave tomorrow for three weeks (vacation time) so I don't know yet if I will be able to post a new story and update it on a daily basis. If I realize I have enough time for it then you will get a new one quite soon. If not then I should start posting a new one around September, 26th.**_


End file.
